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

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.