PEN2602
EXAM PORTFOLIO
MAY-JUNE 2025
, PEN2602 – May/June 2025 Portfolio Examination
Student Name:
Student Number: (Insert here)
Module Code: PEN2602
QUESTION 1: Social Structure and Power Dynamics [20]
1.1 Informal Social Structures in Lake Correctional Centre (10 marks)
Informal social structures in the correctional centre include:
Inmate Gangs: Organised groups based on loyalty, protection, and often crime-
based hierarchies.
Racial/Ethnic Alliances: Inmates group by cultural or language identity.
Peer Leadership: Influential inmates who are not formal leaders but control
access to resources or privileges.
Interest-Based Groups: Groups formed around religion, sports, or hobbies.
Protection Networks: Formed for mutual safety, often offering trade-offs in
return.
These structures function parallel to official authority and influence behaviour, safety,
and decision-making.
1.2 Influence on Inmate Interactions and Resource Access (10 marks)
These structures:
Dictate social interaction norms, e.g., who an inmate can associate with.
Control access to resources, like food, recreation time, and informal protection.
Create power imbalances, marginalising unaffiliated inmates like Loly.
Undermine rehabilitation, as participation may be viewed as weakness.
Generate fear or conformity, with inmates pressured to join groups for survival.
Example: An inmate unaffiliated with any group may be excluded from accessing
shared equipment or recreational space unless granted permission by dominant groups.
EXAM PORTFOLIO
MAY-JUNE 2025
, PEN2602 – May/June 2025 Portfolio Examination
Student Name:
Student Number: (Insert here)
Module Code: PEN2602
QUESTION 1: Social Structure and Power Dynamics [20]
1.1 Informal Social Structures in Lake Correctional Centre (10 marks)
Informal social structures in the correctional centre include:
Inmate Gangs: Organised groups based on loyalty, protection, and often crime-
based hierarchies.
Racial/Ethnic Alliances: Inmates group by cultural or language identity.
Peer Leadership: Influential inmates who are not formal leaders but control
access to resources or privileges.
Interest-Based Groups: Groups formed around religion, sports, or hobbies.
Protection Networks: Formed for mutual safety, often offering trade-offs in
return.
These structures function parallel to official authority and influence behaviour, safety,
and decision-making.
1.2 Influence on Inmate Interactions and Resource Access (10 marks)
These structures:
Dictate social interaction norms, e.g., who an inmate can associate with.
Control access to resources, like food, recreation time, and informal protection.
Create power imbalances, marginalising unaffiliated inmates like Loly.
Undermine rehabilitation, as participation may be viewed as weakness.
Generate fear or conformity, with inmates pressured to join groups for survival.
Example: An inmate unaffiliated with any group may be excluded from accessing
shared equipment or recreational space unless granted permission by dominant groups.
