Those persons confined in any correctional facility are bound by codified rules of behavior and are subject to some form of loss of privileges or liberty if found guilty of violating these rules. The present research focuses on the extent to which legal variables (i.e., information related to the specific rule violation charged, previous criminal activities of the accused, etc.) and extralegal variables (i.e., personalbiographical information, institutional security level, etc.) are associated with outcomes of institutional disciplinary procedures. Seriousness of the charge and the security level of the accused were associated with formal processing of complaints. Minority group members are less likely to receive formal processing. Finally, the severity of one's sanction is almost exclusively understood in terms of who does the sanctioning. The implications of these findings are discussed.