Prisons were created with the objective of punishing individuals who had committed crimes against society. The basic premise of this idea was that by removing these undesirable individuals from the population they would no longer have the ability to harm society. Once these individuals were removed from society and brought into the prison system they created a new society, the prison society. Prisons have their own informal social organization, a society within itself that leads to changes in the lives of those who become imprisoned (Quinn, 1999). The community that exists inside prisons is one that is very dynamic. There is constant change with in the walls of a prison, old inmates on their way out while new inmates are on their way in (Clemmer). Once an individual steps through the prison's doors they must find a way to assimilate themselves into the existing society within the prison. Inside the prison there is a social system that leads to dramatic changes in each i!
             ndividual (Quinn, 1999). Once an individual allows them self to have an identity within the prison society they begin the process of transforming from a self-sufficient individual into one that is dependent upon others for their existence (Clemmer).
             When an individual enters prison it is very apparent that they have lost the basic freedoms that they once took for granted. Their movements are restricted and they must remain in their cell until they are told otherwise (Borgeson, 2000). Although the basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter are met, the inmates tend to become hostile towards
             those in charge because they want more than they need. The prisoners become frustrated without having the ability to make decisions for themselves and feel alienated towards society. This alienation leads to the development of a subculture within the prison system (Sykes, 1958). Once an individual can come to understand that being a member of the prison...