Final answer:
John Irwin's specific methods of adapting to being in prison are not outlined in the provided context. Instead, prisoners adapt to the prison environment through various general methods such as forming social bonds, internalizing prison culture, engaging in prison economies, or detachment. The process includes rehabilitation and resocialization efforts to manage the total institution's demands and prepare for reintegration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The methods of adapting to being in prison identified by John Irwin are not directly provided in this context. However, generally speaking, prisoners might adapt using a variety of mechanisms, such as forming social bonds with other inmates, internalizing the prison culture, engaging in prison economies, or keeping to themselves and detaching from the broader social dynamics of the institution. These methods are a response to the stress and deprivation of prison life and the need for inmates to adjust to a total institution where they are isolated from the broader society and must follow a regimented set of rules.
More specific mechanisms have been identified and researched by various scholars in the field of criminology, which examine the psychological and social adaptations of individuals in the penal system. Such adaptations might include rehabilitation, where inmates engage with therapeutic and educational programs, or resocialization, which refers to the process inmates go through to reintegrate into society post-incarceration. The infamous experiment led by Phillip Zimbardo at Stanford University in 1971 further sheds light on the psychological impacts of the prison environment on both guards and prisoners.