ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses of the inmates’ social system based on their relationship with the staff and with each other. The discovery of informal social systems within formal social systems is usually attributed to Roethlisberger and Dickso. According to sociological theories on the prison society, it is assumed that the social distance between prisoners and staff would manifest itself in more positive attitudes by inmates toward other inmates and more negative attitudes toward staff. The less the inmates adhere to the norms in the prison society, the more they believe others do. A smaller majority said they appreciate praise from inmates more, and this proportion is higher for internment and youth prison but drops for prison and even more for training schools. A majority of inmates feel either that the cohesiveness in prison society is strong or that the inmates should function more as a group.
