Prison Life

Among the 'pains of imprisonment' that both male and female inmates face are, in the first place, the deprivation of liberty and the loneliness and boredom of imprisonment. Second, prisoners are deprived of all goods and services from the outside world. Stripped of possessions, they often equate their material losses with personal inadequacy. The third deprivation for the majority is the absence of heterosexual relationships. Fourth, prisoners are subjected to vast body of institutional regulations designed to control every aspect of behaviour.

In part this control forms the deprivation of freedom that is the essence of imprisonment, and in part it is necessary adjunct as a means of maintaining security, controlling the introduction of weapons, contraband substances and preventing escapes.

Most prisons limit the number of visits that a prisoner may receive from his family or friends. Visits normally take place within the sight of an officer, and in some cases within his hearing. In many prisons, visits are conducted with the prisoner sitting on one side of the table and his visitor on the other, with a wire mesh partition between them; the visitor may be searched for contraband.

Prisoners may write and receive letters and may make telephone calls. Correspondence of prisoners is usually subject to censorship by the prison authorities, and prisoners may not write more than one letter each week. Privileges include a personal radio, books, periodicals and newspapers. They also have an opportunity to watch television (in many prisons each prisoner has a TV-set), and to make purchases from the prison shop with money earned in prison.

Control of the prison is maintained by a number of disciplinary sanctions, which may include forfeiture of privileges, confinement within a punishment block or cell, or the loss of remission or good time (time deducted from the sentence as a reward for good behaviour). Typically, the prohibited offences include mutiny and violence to officers; escaping, or being absent from a place where the prisoner is required to be and possessing unauthorised articles (From….).

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the “essence of imprisonment”?

2. What are the “pains of imprisonment”?

3. What is the aim of controlling every aspect of prisoner’s life?

4. What are the institutional regulations for visits that prisoners may receive?

5. What rights do prisoners have?

6. What disciplinary sanctions are imposed to maintain security in prison?

Ex. 4. Find in the text above English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. позбавлення волі

2. заколот

3. обшук

4. підлягати цензурі

5. позбавлення привілеїв

6. карцер

7. обмежувати кількість побачень

8. робити покупки

9. гроші, зароблені у в’язниці

10. дисциплінарні санкції

11. ув’язнення

Ex. 5. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions:

1. body of institutional regulations

2. contraband substance

3. forfeiture of privileges

4. personal inadequacy

5. to control introduction of weapons

6. be deprived of goods and services

7. behavior

8. maintaining security

9. introduction of weapons

10. preventing escapes

11. receive a letter

12. confinement

13. violence

14. possess unauthorized articles

Ex. 6. Match the following English expressions with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. both male and female

2. equate material losses

3. personal inadequacy

4. necessary adjunct

5. be conducted

6. a wire mesh partition

7. have an opportunity

8. forfeiture of privileges

9. confinement within a punishment block

10. a reward for good behaviour

11. possessing unauthorized articles

12. stripped of possessions

1. проводитися

2. мати можливість

3. позбавлення привілеїв

4. перегородка з гратами

5. володіння забороненими предметами

6. прирівнювати матеріальні втрати

7. позбавлені майна

8. як жінки так і чоловіки

9. необхідний додаток

10. самодостатність

11. винагорода за гарну поведінку

12. ув’язнення в карцер

Ex. 7. Read and memorize the following English words:

Nouns Verbs Adjectives

deprivation of liberty to face male

essense to deprive female

imprisonment to equate material

pain to subject personal

loneliness to design heterosexual

boredom to prevent vast

prisoner to limit disciplinary

goods to receive institutional

service to search

security to include

weapons to earn

substance to maintain

escape to possess

visit

censorship

Ex. 8. Read the text and answer the following questions. Write down Ukrainian equivalents for sentences given in bold type.

1. What rights do prisoners enjoy in Europe and the United States?

2. What have you learned about Habeas Corpus and mandamus?

3. Why are the courts now willing to limit prisoners’ access to the federal courts in the United States?