HMP Moorcroft has recently experienced a dramatic rise in inmate-on-inmate violence. The prison inspector's report highlights that the facility is operating at 160% capacity, meaning inmates spend up to 22 hours a day sharing small, poorly ventilated cells with no privacy. Furthermore, budget cuts have led to a reduced diet and the cancellation of vocational workshops.
The governor claims: "The aggressive atmosphere is entirely due to these harsh, frustrating conditions." However, some officers argue that the violence is driven by a new wave of gang-affiliated offenders who entered the prison with pre-existing violent tendencies.
Discuss the situational explanation for institutional aggression in prisons. Refer to the description of HMP Moorcroft in your answer.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Aggression with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 71 questions covering Neural, hormonal and genetic factors in aggression, Ethological and evolutionary explanations of aggression, Social psychological explanations of aggression, Institutional aggression in prisons, and Media influences on aggression, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.