naged to restore order (Press, 1986, pp. 46-47). In addition to this newsworthy riot, however, the Eastham Unit as well as the other units of the Texas Department of Corrections can be seen as hotbeds for day-to-day inmate violence. Because of this ongoing violence, it has been noted that "between January 1984 and September 1985, 52 prisoners were fatally shivved and mangled throughout the 27-unit system; six died at Eastham" (Press, 1986, p. 48). Unfortunately, the violent conditions which exist throughout the Texas prison system can also be found permeating all the other state systems as well.
One major cause of such violence is the "sense of helplessness or hopelessness" which the average inmate experiences during his or her stay in prison (Menninger, 1968, p. 179). It has been noted that the prison inmate, like everyone else in society, "does not want to be pushed around, controlled, or dominated... And because he often feels that he is thus oppressed (and actually is) and because he does lack facility in improving this situation without violence, he suffers more intensely from feelings of helplessness" (Menninger, 1968, p. 179). Therefore the sense of despair which is frequently felt by prisoners is a strong contributing factor to the overall frustration of the prison environment which in turn breeds violent behavior.
Another factor in causing prison violence is that of overcrowding. The 1980's in America saw "the passage of stricter laws, which in turn have led to dramatic increases in jail and prison populations throughout the country" (Anderson, 1988, p. 430). Because of the stricter sentencing laws which have been developed in America in recent years, the number of inmates in American prisons has grown to dynamic proportions in comparison with similar figures from other parts of the globe. Thus, in the year 1980 it was noted that America had 200 prisoners for every 100,000 citizens, and that "this rate is two an...