BOYS TO MEN: GROWING UP AND DOING TIME IN AN ENGLISH YOUNG OFFENDER INSTITUTION by KATE ELIZABETH GOOCH A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Birmingham Law School University of Birmingham January 2013 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT Child imprisonment has a long history, one that predates the formal creation of juvenile justice. However, the continued use of prison establishments for children, known as young offender institutions (YOIs), remains a controversial issue. This thesis seeks to advance the debate regarding the abolition of child imprisonment by drawing on empirical research conducted in an English YOI accommodating teenage boys. In so doing, the thesis contributes to the established prison ethnographic literature by developing an understanding of the attitudes and lived experiences of child prisoners, a typically overlooked dimension of prison ethnography. The thesis critically analyses three key themes that emerged from the empirical research: surviving life inside; interpersonal victimisation; and, the nature of the staff-prisoner relationships and the use of power. It is argued that imprisonment is far from a neutral experience. The stark similarities between the lived experience of adult and child prisoners illustrate the futility of attempting to create a distinct secure estate for children whilst retaining the use of YOIs. The differences that do exist only serve to demonstrate the inappropriateness of detaining children in the prison environment. The recent fall in the youth custody population presents an opportunity to finally abolish child prisons. For Matthew ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the help and support of several key people whom I would sincerely like to thank. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Katherine Doolin for her kindness, advice and guidance throughout this entire process. In addition, I am grateful to Professor Stephen Shute for his valuable assistance in contacting the young offender institution and, ultimately, for facilitating the access that enabled this empirical research to proceed. Special thanks go to Dr. James Treadwell who provided insightful comments on a final draft of this thesis and to Darrell Woods who kindly proof- read the final draft. Second, I am indebted to the young offender institution that facilitated the empirical project presented in this thesis. I am forever grateful to the children and staff who freely, openly and candidly shared their experiences with me and allowed me to gain insight into their hidden prison world. Third, to my colleagues and friends at Birmingham Law School who have freely provided their advice, support and encouragement. The Law School has been an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable environment in which to both study as a postgraduate researcher and work as an academic member of staff. I would specifically like to thank Professor John Baldwin, Professor Robert Cryer, Mr. Martin George, Professor Sonia Harris-Short, Mr. James Lee, Miss Theresa Lynch and Dr. Claire McIvor. The final note of thanks goes to my family and friends, who have encouraged me and supported me throughout. I would especially like to thank my parents, Hannah, Daniel and my husband Matthew to whom this thesis is dedicated. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 1.1 CHILDREN IN PRISON .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 THE AIMS OF THE THESIS ............................................................................................ 2 1.3 EXERCISING THE ‗POWER TO PUNISH‘ ........................................................................ 6 1.4 IN THE CARE OF THE STATE ....................................................................................... 10 1.5 CHILDREN OR PRISONERS ......................................................................................... 19 1.6 OUTLINE AND FOCUS OF THE THESIS ........................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 2: ‘SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS’: THE EVOLUTION OF YOUTH JUSTICE POLICY AND PENAL CUSTODY ........................................................... 29 2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 29 2.2 THE ‗CHILD SAVING‘ MOVEMENT ............................................................................ 31 2.3 FORMALISING JUVENILE JUSTICE AND EXPANDING STATE CONTROL ....................... 45 2.4 PUNITIVE CUSTODIAL OPTIONS ................................................................................ 50 2.5 THE RISE AND FALL OF WELFARE ............................................................................ 54 2.6 DECARCERATION ...................................................................................................... 60 2.7 KIDULTHOOD ............................................................................................................ 63 2.8 LEARNING FROM THE PAST ....................................................................................... 67 2.9 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 74 CHAPTER 3: ‘DOING TIME’ IN A TOTAL, COERCIVE INSTITUTION .......... 76 3.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 76 3.2 THE PRISON AS A TOTAL INSTITUTION. ..................................................................... 78 3.3 TOTAL POWER WITHIN THE PRISON .......................................................................... 83 3.4 THE ‗PAINS OF IMPRISONMENT‘ ................................................................................ 94 3.5 THE PRISONER SOCIETY AND CULTURE .................................................................. 104 3.6 ‗DOING TIME‘ ......................................................................................................... 112 3.7 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 114 CHAPTER 4: ‘WHY ARE YOU HERE?:’ DOING RESEARCH IN AN ENGLISH YOI ......................................................................................................................................... 117 4.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 117 4.2 NEGOTIATING ACCESS ............................................................................................ 120 4.3 THE RESEARCH IN CONTEXT ................................................................................... 121 4.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 126 4.5 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................................... 137 4.6 DOING PRISON RESEARCH ...................................................................................... 142 4.7 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 145 CHAPTER 5: ‘YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF LOOK BIG:’ SURVIVING IMPRISONMENT ........................................................................................................ 147 5.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 147 5.2 ‗EVERYONE WAS LOST‘: MAKING THE TRANSITION INTO A YOI ............................ 150 5.2.1 Preparing for Life Inside ................................................................................ 151 5.2.2 Reception ......................................................................................................... 155 5.2.3 Experiencing Entry Shock ............................................................................... 159 5.3 ‗IT‘S STILL HARD BUT IT GETS EASIER‘: ADJUSTING TO PRISON LIFE ...................... 164 5.3.1 „Once you get a routine‟.................................................................................. 165 5.3.2 „I know a lot of people here‟ ........................................................................... 166 5.3.3 „My home away from home‟ ............................................................................ 170 5.3.4 „My pad mate‟ ................................................................................................. 170 5.3.5 „I‟m not an offender‟ ....................................................................................... 172 5.4 ‗I‘M GETTING ON WITH THE TIME‘: NEGOTIATING THE TIME PROBLEM................... 175 5.4.1 Activity and Education .................................................................................... 177 5.4.2 Cellular Solitude and Activity ........................................................................