Peer Relationships In Prison

to be a common theme in the realities that ex-convicts face once outside of prison (as cited in Williams-Queen, 2014). This is consistent with Wilson and Davis’s study (2006) that found that ex-offenders often experience stigma from friends, family, and others. This stigma affects the ex-offenders’ future by the way of employment, social systems, confidence and the overall worth one feels for themselves.
Another example of how peer relationships can lead to negative outcomes is when these relationships are with criminal peers. Cobbina, Huebner, and Berg (2012) explored the influence of peer relationships to re-offending and found that “recidivism is strongly related to whether they associate with others who engage in criminal activity”.
Social support was measured by whether the respondent had friends of family that could loan them money, thatwould listen to their problems or help them stay out of trouble. The research concluded that inmates who experienced prison as a harsh place and who did not have peers to rely on for support, may be more likely to hold on to their prison experiences and display hostility while reintegrating back into