“It Ain’t Home Base No More:” Sentencing Reform and Dynamic County Jail Inmate Politics

• Author: Jonathan W. Caudill,Chad R. Trulson,Matt DeLisi,James W. Marquart
• Published date: 01 September 2022
• Date: 01 September 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00328855221109805
• Subject Matter: Articles

“It Ain’t Home Base No

More:”Sentencing

Reform and Dynamic

County Jail Inmate

Politics

Jonathan W. Caudill

1

,

Chad R. Trulson

2

, Matt DeLisi

3

,

and James W. Marquart

4

Abstract

Inmate politics in prisons has been well chronicled. Yet, little is known about

the role of inmate politics in county jails. Utilizing data from a natural

experiment and complied through longitudinal case study methods, this

study observed the dynamic socio-political concepts of the county jail inmate

environment that followed California’s 2011 sentencing reform. Identifying

those aspects of the jail inmate political system that shifted –enhancements

in the role of race relations among inmates, an expansion of the inmate

economy, and emergence of utilitarian violence –also permits a clearer

understanding of the jail inmate political system.

Keywords

jails, inmate politics, inmate economy, sentencing reform, criminal justice

1

Univeristy of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA

2

University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

3

Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

4

Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jonathan W. Caudill, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, School of Public Affairs,

Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.

Email: jcaudill@uccs.edu

Article

The Prison Journal

2022, Vol. 102(4) 417–438

© 2022 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/00328855221109805

journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj

Introduction

Inmate politics serves as a mechanism of social order in the carceral environment,

where formal social control is limited (Akers et al., 1977; Davidson, 1974; Stastny

& Tyrnauer, 1983; Sykes, 1958) and inmates seek opportunities to minimize the

pains of imprisonment (Clemmer, 1958; Goffman, 1961; Irwin & Cressey, 1962;

Toman et al., 2015; Winfree et al., 2002). The relevance of the inmate polity has

been demonstrated through natural experiments (e.g., judicial interventions) that

fractured the social order of prison systems of multiple states, producing institu-

tional unrest (Jacobs, 1983; Marquart & Crouch, 1985; McCorkle et al., 1995;

Trulson & Marquart, 2010; Walker, 2016; Winfree et al., 2002).

While much is known about how prison inmate politics serve the social

order of prisons, less is known about the nature of the inmate polity in

county jails. The limited literature on how jail inmates do their time and

the incarcerated politics of jails presents divergent perspectives. Irwin

(1985, p. 39) suggested that most jail inmates were “disreputable,”but gen-

erally unsophisticated criminals. Skarbek (2014), conversely, suggested that

the county jail serves as a conduit between prisons and the community,

where inmates in county jails carry out the orders of prison gang “shot

callers”to maintain control of the illicit street drug market.

This analysis, based on a case study examining the effects of California’s

2011 sentencing reform legislation, clarif‌ies the relevance and inf‌luence of

inmate politics in county jails. California’s AB 109: Criminal Justice

Realignment (2011) aimed to de-populate the state prison system by transfer-

ring supervision of “non-violent, non-serious, and non-sexual”felony offend-

ers to California counties (Assembly Bill 109: Criminal Justice Realignment).

Our research is the f‌irst to report longitudinal shifts in the jail inmate political

system. County jails are central institutions in the criminal justice system, and

it is essential to understand the jail inmate polity and its environment.

Inmate Politics

Prison Inmate Politics

The prison environment has some generalizable characteristics and others that

are more unique to the specif‌ic environment. Sykes’(1958) observations of

the maximum-security prison environment found correctional off‌icers’

limited ability to control inmate behaviors combined with social and physical

deprivation resulted in the development of subcultural jargon and methods of

maintaining social order. In other words, inmates established a culture that

provided some level of social expectations.

418 The Prison Journal 102(4)