Vivre entre les murs : l’expérience d’hommes incarcérés pour la première fois
This study investigates how first time inmates experience life in prison.  In order to gain greater knowledge of correctional centers and to better understand the impact of incarceration on prisoners, we carried out qualitative semi-structured interviews with twenty-one first time prisoners in two Québec prisons.  Our analysis suggests that although much improvement has taken place in correctional facilities in the past thirty years, for instance the incursion of society inside the walls, the decentralization of power and the granting of inmate’s rights, prisons remain “total” and “disciplinary” institutions.  Prisoners still experience the pains of imprisonment, still experience extreme fear and still suffer greatly.  Prison adaptation is explained as a way for inmates to relive their suffering. Our findings suggest that the pursuit of control and efficient stress coping enables first-time inmates to attain a certain well being within the prison walls.
Prison Adaptation Institution totale Stress Prison Inmates Control Adaptation Fear Total institution Stress