Style and Regime in Probation Hostels
| Author | Stuart Palmer |
| Published date | 01 September 1979 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057902600305 |
| Date | 01 September 1979 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
89
Style
and
Regime
in
Probation
Hostels
STUART
PALMER
In
this
article,
which
is
condensed
from
a
much
longer
study
of
pro-
bation
hostels
undertaken
as
a
result
of
a
Cropwood
Fellowship
at
the
Cambridge
Institute
of
Criminology,
the
author
describes
the
vital
im-
portance
of
the
style
of
the
warden
in
shaping
the
regime
of
the
hostel.
He
also
examines
the
development
of
hostel
culture
and
emphasises
the
importance
of
deliberate
"outside" links.
PROBATION
hostels
need
to
be
seen
as
social
systems,
with
clear
boun-
daries
between
them
and
the
surrounding
world.
They
are
not
total
institutions
since
the
opportunities
for
residents
and
others
to
cross
the
boundary
are
so
numerous.
Additionally,
the
residents
tend
to
be
well
able
to
lead
a
significant
part
of
their
lives
in
the
world
outside
the
hostel
and
the
aims
of
hostels
tend
to
encourage
this
participation.
To
apply
to
probation
hostels
some
of
the
concepts
which
have
dominated
much
of
the
thinking
about
residential
work
such
as
those
put
forward
by
Goffman
(1961)
or
Miller
and
Gwynne
(1972)
would
be
extremely
misleading
and
has
led
at
times
to
a
denigration
of
hostels
as
merely
&dquo;open
prisons&dquo;.
Such
attitudes
are
at
best
wildly
out
of
touch
with
reality
and
at
worst
arrogantly
mischievous.
But
that
should
not
obscure
the
fact
that
hostels
are
&dquo;worlds&dquo;
in
their
own
right,
each
with
a
distinct
and
observable
culture
which
has
an
impact
on
the
staff
and
the
residents
who
live
within
it.
Often
the
ideologies
of
fieldworkeis
tempt
them
to
resist
or
to
try
to
change
that
culture
instead
of
seeing
in
hostels
an
opportunity
for offenders
to
live
simultaneously
within
two
worlds,
one
of
which
provides
the
kind
of
primary
care
and
containment
without
which
the
other,
wider
world
cannot
be
coped
with.
The
warden’s
style
Sinclair
(1971)
and
Orford
and
Otto
(1978)
point
to
the
vital
nature
of
the
warden’s
role
in
a
small
institution
like
a
hostel.
The
warden
sets
the
scene
for
much
of
what
residents
experience
when
they
are
in
the
hostel
and,
although
other
staff
need
to
agree
with
this
style
if
it
is
to
be
effective,
the
dominance
of
the
warden
is
a
fact
which
cannot
be
avoided
by
anyone
who
spends
any
time
in
such
an
establishment.
The
warden’s
style
is
closely
linked
to
his
or
her
personality.
Indeed
it is
unthinkable
where
people
spend
so
much
of
their
lives
together,
acting
in
public
towards
each
other,
that
it
could
be
otherwise.
False
attitudes
by
wardens
would
be
quickly
spotted
by
residents
and
exploited
for
their
own
ends,
which
cannot
be
surprising
and
is
not
to
be
condemned.
The
warden
then
must
be
himself
and
his
style
must
&dquo;fit&dquo;
his
per-
sonality
if
he
is
to
be
effective.
Even
in
such
a
small
community
he
is
automatically
seen
as
a
leader
and
put
on
a
pedestal
of
authority.
His
entry
into
the
hostel
is
a
signal
for
heightened
expectation
and
most
residents
will
look
towards
him
or
her for
the
last
word on
most
matters.
His
power
and
patronage
is
considerable
and
needs
to
be
acknowledged
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