Southern New Hampshire University
CJ-210 The U.S. Correctional System
3-2 Discussion: Make Your Case
Prompt:
Take a position. Do you agree or disagree that the inmate code differs significantly from our
culture’s moral code?
For this discussion, I am disagreeing that the inmate differs from our culture’s moral code.
While I believe that there are subcultures that follow an unwritten set of rules similar to the
inmate code, I don't think that the inmate code reflects our universal moral code as a collective.
What do you see as the key elements of the inmate code in prison culture?
What is inmate code? Inmate code, or "convict code," is a set of do's and don'ts and conduct that
have been established among incarcerated individuals inside prison social systems. According to
SNHU A11 Remediated Videos (2019, 0:51), there are five components to the inmate code: 1)
don't obstruct inmate business and never rat on a convict; 2) maintain yourself and do your own
time; 3) be a man, be tough, and never back down from a fight; 4) don't exploit or steal from
