“Prisonization is the process of accepting the culture and social life of prison society. It can be described as a process whereby newly institutionalized offenders come to accept prison lifestyles and criminal values. Prisonization forms an informal inmate code. Prison inmates slowly accept these institutional features and codes of the prison in their struggle for survival.” (USLegal, n.d) Prisonization is accepting and practicing the prison systems lifestyle and rules. Prisoners learn to live the way of life in prison versus the typical lifestyle of society. In other words, it becomes a inmates form of adaptation. One of the rules that all inmates are to obey is the rule of not “snitching” on each other. Snitching is telling on another inmate about something he or she did that may be against the rules of the prison. This includes drugs, fights and the hiding of weapons. In my opinion, prisonization creates that biggest problem for inmates when it comes to “snitching.” It can become dangerous for all those involved including prison employees and other inmates. Inmates, sometimes, find gangs to either join and continue to participate in.
