UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Punishment and Coping in “Golden County”: An Ethnography of Jail Living A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology by Michael Lawrence Walker June 2014 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Ellen Reese, Chairperson Dr. Adalberto Aguirre, Jr. Dr. Alfredo M. Mirande´ Dr. Dylan E. Rodriguez Copyright by Michael Lawrence Walker 2014 The Dissertation of Michael Lawrence Walker is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have had help from more people than I have space to thank. Let me begin by expressing my sincerest gratitude to the most outstanding mentor, chair, and friend that a student could ever hope to have—Ellen Reese. This project would not have been possible if not for her efforts. On more than one occasion she extended herself on my behalf. With all she managed on her plate, she still found time to read, edit, and respond to my work with astonishing speed. Thank you! I would also like to acknowledge my committee members, Adalberto Aguirre, Jr., Alfredo Mirande, and Dylan Rodriguez, each of whom provided valuable insight and pushed me (through challenges or through the value of their scholarship) to do my best. To my “unofficial” committee members, Damion Thomas and Randol Contreras, thank you for your advice, friendship, and time. To Scott Brooks who originally encouraged my ethnographic eye, I am forever grateful. To Howard Becker who watered the seed that Scott Brooks planted, thank you for the long conversations and advice. I am also particularly grateful to Jane Ward who was a friend when I most needed one. To Edna Bonacich, who I consider a member of my immediate family, thank you for always being there! I am grateful to the Department of Sociology faculty who I made full use of, often popping into offices with my queries. I would be remiss without a special thanks to Anna Wire, our Graduate Affairs Assistant, who literally ensures the success of graduate students at UC, Riverside. Thank you! Finally, I would like to acknowledge my dear brother, Wil Greer, whose act of heroic kindness so many years ago sparked a friendship that would guide me to be the best man, father, and developing scholar that I can be. iv DEDICATIONS The road to earning a Ph.D. is a selfish one. I have tried to remain mindful of that throughout this process. The efforts represented here are dedicated to Heather L. M. Walker, M.D., Brenden M. Walker, Laiyla I. S. Walker, and Jaden K. M. Walker—my wife and children. You all give me strength. Your patience and understanding during my long hours away can never be repaid, but I will never stop trying. v ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Punishment and Coping in “Golden County”: An Ethnography of Jail Living by Michael Lawrence Walker Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in Sociology University of California, Riverside, June 2014 Dr. Ellen Reese, Chairperson A growing body of research has been dedicated to examining the effects of mass incarceration with particular emphasis on the lives of former prison inmates, their families, their communities, and their life chances post incarceration. This dissertation takes a different focus, looking at the everyday lives of inmates in a county jail system. Though often discussed anecdotally within studies of prisons, jails are distinct from other types of punishing institutions in terms of function, amenities available to inmates, and scope. These differences make for a qualitatively unique inmate experience. The distinctiveness of jails provides for equally distinct sets of punishments and coping strategies that inmates adopt for survival. The findings presented here reveal the practical application of “tough on crime” policies and practices inside jail walls where the lives of captured men have been nearly invisible. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DIFFERENTIATING JAILS FROM PRISONS ............................................................................... 11 STUDIES OF JAIL LIFE ..................................................................................................................... 14 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 17 The Setting ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Data Collection ............................................................................................................................................. 21 An Insider Status ......................................................................................................................................... 24 Recording Fieldnotes ................................................................................................................................. 28 Analysis ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 PLAN FOR THE DISSERTATION ................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2: A PENAL SOCIETY ............................................................................................. 32 GOLDEN COUNTY FACILITIES ...................................................................................................... 34 Open Dayrooms............................................................................................................................................ 35 Closed Dayrooms ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Single-Man Units .......................................................................................................................................... 37 CATEGORIES OF PUNISHMENT ................................................................................................... 37 Environmental Punishments .................................................................................................................. 38 Private Punishments .................................................................................................................................. 42 A Netherworld .............................................................................................................................................. 44 INTAKE ................................................................................................................................................ 45 Formal Intake Processing ........................................................................................................................ 45 Informal Intake Processing ..................................................................................................................... 48 THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PUBLIC IDENTITY ....................................................................... 51 Resisting Public Identities ....................................................................................................................... 55 vii SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 3: CLASSIFICATION, RACIALIZATION, AND PUNISHMENT ...................... 59 INMATE CLASSES .............................................................................................................................. 62 Trustees ........................................................................................................................................................... 62 The General Population ............................................................................................................................ 66 Stigmatized Class ......................................................................................................................................... 67 Interactions between Classes ................................................................................................................. 70 A Web of Resentment ................................................................................................................................ 76 RACIALIZED INMATE GROUPS .................................................................................................... 77 Racial Formation & Racialization ......................................................................................................... 80 Classification: The Organizational Racial Project .......................................................................... 82 The “Politics”: The Micro-Interactional Racial Project ................................................................ 94 APOLITICAL SPACES ..................................................................................................................... 100 Pre-Housing Holding Cells .................................................................................................................... 101 Mental Health Holding Cells................................................................................................................. 102 The Trustee Pod ........................................................................................................................................ 104 “Church” ......................................................................................................................................................