Equifinality and Prison Social Organization: Unpacking Belief in the Prison Code

• In Event: Critical Prison Research

Abstract

Objective: The well-documented prison code is theoretically understood to result from both deprivations inherent to imprisonment, as well as beliefs imported from outside the prison walls. By concluding that both deprivation and importation are contributing to belief in the prison code, equifinality has been implied, but has yet to be tested. This study identifies individuals who report belief in the code and assesses the processes that are associated with this belief. Specifically, this study uses an equifinality framework to highlight the diverse pathways that can result in belief in the prison code.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 326 incarcerated men as a part of the Arizona Working and Living in Prison project at three time points. We examined participants’ perceptions of the prison code and then assessed which deprivation and importation factors were associated with belief in the code.
Results: Results show variation in belief in the prison code and a set of unique incarceration experiences among those who express strong belief in the code.
Conclusions: Equifinality is a useful concept and organizing framework that can be used to understand and unpack the relative importance of competing, yet simultaneously occurring, theoretical explanations for belief in the prison code.

Authors

• Stephanie Morse, Saint Anselm College

• Arynn Infante, Portland State University