Street
institutionalized
What does institutionalized mean?
Describing a long-term inmate who has become so accustomed to the routine and structure of prison that they struggle to function outside it.
"After thirty years he was fully institutionalized and feared release."
Origin
Clinical term absorbed into inmate speech.
Frequently asked questions
What does institutionalized mean in prison?
It describes a long-term inmate who has grown so used to the routine and structure of prison that they struggle to function on the outside.
How is institutionalized used?
It's applied to someone deeply shaped by incarceration, as in 'after thirty years he was fully institutionalized and feared release.'
Where does the term institutionalized come from?
It's a clinical term for adaptation to institutional life that has been absorbed into everyday inmate speech.
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