University of Chicago Press Behind the Walls: Inmates and Correctional Officers on the State of Canadian Prisons (Law and Society)

Despite falling crime rates, more rights for inmates, and better training for correctional officers, Canada's prisons are overflowing, and outbreaks of violence continue to grab headlines. Applying Goffman's frame theory and drawing on interviews with inmates and correctional officers in provincial and federal prisons, Michael Weinrath offers an unprecedented look at how inmates and officers perceive themselves, their relationships with others, and new developments and ongoing issues in prisons, including boundary violations by officers and the rise of prison gangs. Although progress has been made, prisons continue to be plagued by problems that prevent inmates from forging positive relationships among themselves and with correctional officers. Review Behind the Walls brings to life issues facing the Canadian corrections system. Sure to spark critical debate, it is a must-read for scholars, policy makers, and correctional staff. Author: Rick Ruddell, professor of justice studies and Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies, University of Regina Book Description Based on candid conversations with inmates and correctional officers in federal and provincial prisons, Behind the Walls offers an up-to-date and balanced account of the corrections landscape in Canada. From the Author Michael Weinrath is a professor of criminal justice and director of the Justice Research Institute at the University of Winnipeg. Prior to earning a PhD, he spent fourteen years working in community and institutional corrections. He is co-author, with John Winterdyk, of Adult Corrections in Canada. About the Author Michael Weinrath is a professor of criminal justice and director of the Justice Research Institute at the University of Winnipeg.