Prison Misconduct Research Articles

Perceptions of Correctional Officer Procedural Justice, Low Self-Control, and Institutional Misconduct Among People in Prison

Using data from the Prison Project, a nationwide study of individuals entering pre-trial detention ( N = 1,609) in the Netherlands, the study examines the associations among self-control (e.g., acting on impulse, lack of forethought, inability to concentrate), perceptions of procedural justice (i.e., people in prison’s perceptions of their treatment by prison staff), and prison misconduct (e.g., being aggressive toward prison staff and/or other people incarcerated in prison). Results show that low self-control is positively associated with prison misconduct while perceptions of procedural justice are negatively associated with misconduct. The effect of procedural justice on prison misconduct does not significantly differ across levels of self-control. The study contributes to the limited literature on self-control theory and procedural justice within corrections.

Code of Conduct: Using Propensity Scores to Evaluate Prison Misconduct Among Veterans in Prison

ABSTRACT Over 16 million veterans live in the U.S. but unfortunately, military service is often associated with problematic readjustments back to civilian life, including contact with the criminal justice system. While research has explored the criminal behavior of veterans, less research has focused on the conduct of veterans once they are incarcerated. The current study uses official data from the Florida Department of Corrections to investigate the relationship between veteran status and institutional misconduct. A prisoner release cohort of over 175,000 inmates released from Florida prisons from 2004 to 2011 was used to create more than 8,000 matched pairs of veterans and nonveterans using propensity score matching. After matching, logistic regression and negative binomial regression are used to estimate the association between military service and disciplinary infractions. Results indicate that veterans are less likely to receive a disciplinary infraction for any type of prison misconduct, violent misconduct, and disorderly misconduct compared to nonveterans. Veterans also receive lower numbers of disciplinary infractions as well. The results of this study indicate that the correctional system should address the needs of veterans to aid in their positive reintegration back into society after their service.

Strain, Anger, and Prison Misconduct: Examining the Impact of Unfair Wages, Broken Social Ties, and Dehumanization

Using the theoretical framework of General Strain Theory, this study examines how each of Agnew’s categorizations of strain are associated with people in prison’s anger and self-reported charges for misconduct. The strains explored include dehumanization (negative stimuli), loss of social ties (removal of positive stimuli), and unfair pay for labor (unjust outcomes). Surveys of 3,531 men and women incarcerated in five different facilities were examined. Each strain is significantly and positively associated with anger. Anger is significantly and positively associated with misconduct. Dehumanization and loss of social ties are significantly and indirectly associated with misconduct through anger in the theoretically expected direction. In sum, strains may foment anger among people in prison resulting in rule breaking.

An Examination of Racial and Ethnic Disparity in Prison Misconduct Punishment

Objectives: To examine whether the likelihood of guilty dispositions and the manner of sanctioning prison misconduct differs across racial/ethnic groups, with emphasis on sanctions other than solitary confinement. Methods: A random sample of men incarcerated in a large Northeastern state prison system is analyzed. Propensity weights are estimated by Black–White and Hispanic/Latino-White prehearing characteristics. Weighted logistic regression is used to examine guilty verdict, weighted multinomial logistic regression is used to examine type of sanction, and weighted ordinary least squares regression is used to examine length of sanction. Results: Findings reveal disproportionality in the likelihood of receiving a misconduct write-up, though reduced likelihood of guilty verdict among Black charges. Minor non-restrictive sanctions are used less among Black individuals and loss of privileges is used more often among Hispanic/Latino individuals, while disciplinary confinement is used more often among White individuals. Black and Hispanic/Latino individuals receive longer sentences for certain sanction types. Some effects are conditional on offense severity. Conclusions: Differential imposition and length of seemingly lenient sanctions may disadvantage Black and Hispanic/Latino groups for rehabilitative resources, while imposition of solitary confinement may disadvantage White groups in terms of restrictive damages. Parity should be sought in the implementation of sanctions for similarly severe misconduct.

Predicting Prison Misconduct With the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles: A Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of six prison samples using the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) general criminal thinking, proactive criminal thinking, and reactive criminal thinking scales to predict disciplinary infractions was performed. Results showed evidence of significant associations between all three PICTS scales and prison misconduct, whereas the magnitude of effect ranged from small (all infractions) to very small (interpersonal aggression infractions). Although there were no signs of heterogeneity in the results, sex, race, and length of follow up served as moderators. The apparent contradiction of moderator effects in a meta-analysis with no evidence of heterogeneity is discussed.

Prison Adjustment Among Military Veterans: The Impact of Traumatic Events, Service History, and PTSD.

Military veterans have been shown to differ demographically from non-veterans in the criminal justice system. However, relatively little is known about their psychological adjustment, institutional misbehavior, and the efficacy of programing received while incarcerated. Using data taken from a national sample of prison inmates, this study investigates how traumatic events experienced during military service can impact the intensity of negative affect among veterans. Additionally, we examine whether prison misconduct is influenced by military service history and the receipt of substance abuse treatment. Controlling for a host of relevant variables, our results indicate that traumatic events show a significant effect on psychological adjustment only indirectly through veterans who developed post-traumatic stress disorder and that misconduct is lower among those who received an honorable discharge. Overall, these findings suggest that the ability of veterans to resist adverse outcomes may depend on a variety of factors both within and outside the prison environment.

Does Criminal Thinking Predict Prison Misconduct? An Evaluation of TCU’s Criminal Thinking Scales

To date, only one published study has tested the predictive validity of the Texas Christian University–Criminal Thinking Scales (TCU-CTS), and no studies have tested whether these scales are predictive of prison misconduct. Using a sample of more than 2,000 people incarcerated in Minnesota’s prison system, this study examined the predictive validity of the TCU-CTS with multiple measures of prison misconduct. The results showed the overall TCU-CTS score significantly predicted misconduct, although the strength of this association was relatively modest (AUC = 0.62). Among the six scales on the TCU-CTS, Cold-Heartedness significantly predicted both measures of misconduct, whereas Power Orientation and Criminal Rationalization were each significantly associated with one misconduct measure.

Predicting Prison Misconduct: Role of Criminogenic Cognitions of Adult Convicted Prisoners

Prison misconduct is violation of prison rules through which prisoners are governed to regulate their behavior by the prison authorities. The aim of present study was to examine relationship between criminogenic cognitions of prisoners and prison misconduct in the Punjab, Pakistan. Conducting a survey of 363 adult convicted prisoners from the Punjab prisons, data were collected by using structured questionnaires and analyzed in SPSS-26. The study concluded that the relationship between criminogenic cognitions of prisoners and prison misconduct was found strong and positive. On the basis of these findings, criminogenic cognitions—dynamic risk factors of the prisoners may be assessed by the prison authorities at the time of prisoners’ entry into custody which would help them in an appropriate and scientifically based classification. This classification would clearly distinguish the high, medium, and low risk offenders and their probability in engaging in future criminal activities inside the prisons and after their transition into society. Policies based on these conclusions derived from the classification would reduce prison misconduct as well as enhance the chances of institutional adjustment which would provide a conducive environment for prison management to run rehabilitation programs for prisoners. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that prison authorities in Punjab, Pakistan, incorporate assessments of criminogenic cognitions as part of the intake process for convicted prisoners.

Prison behavior and the self: exploring the relationship between different forms of identity and prison misconduct

ABSTRACT Identity or self-concept has long been theorized to explain rule-violating behavior. Life-course criminology scholarship has incorporated identity as a core concept explaining desistance or disengagement from crime over time. Individuals who transform their identities from anti to prosocial or who are ready to move away from their past selves are more likely to desist from crime. However, the role of identity, particularly the forms of identity that have been theorized to influence desistance, has been understudied with respect to prison behavior. Understanding the ways in which identity relates to prison misconduct may help inform prison programming as well as theoretical perspectives drawing on the concept. The purpose of this study is to explore how various forms of identity are related to future prison misconduct, controlling for past misconduct and a host of other theoretical variables, in Minnesota prisons. The results indicate that two forms of identity, replacement self and cognitive transformation, are related to general misconduct but not violent misconduct in survival models. For general misconduct, both forms of identity are associated with a reduction in the risk of new convictions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

New Insights for “What Works”? Religiosity and the Risk-Needs-Responsivity Model

The existing literature has devoted relatively little attention to the responsivity principle and, in particular, religiosity as a type of specific responsivity. Using a sample of nearly 2,000 people incarcerated in Minnesota’s prison system, this study examined the relationship between religiosity and measures of risk, needs, and responsivity. The results showed that religiosity was positively associated with childhood trauma, pro-social identities, and perceived social support, while it was negatively associated with criminal thinking and employment needs. Findings further revealed that religiosity was associated with less prison misconduct and reduced recidivism risk, but only for people with positive self-identities, according to Paternoster and Bushway’s Fear of Self scale, and lower levels of perceived social support. We discuss the implications of these results for theory and practice.

Family incarceration and prison adaptation: Investigating the impact of family incarceration history on prison misconduct

The intergenerational transmission of crime (ITC) perspective suggests that children of those who engage in crime are more likely to end up offending themselves. Specifically, they are more likely to engage in crime, be arrested, and be incarcerated compared to children of parents without a criminal record. What remains unclear is the effect parental offending has on the prison.experience of their offspring who are incarcerated. Additionally, the impact of sibling incarceration on one's incarceration experiences has not been examined. Drawing on the ITC framework, rule breaking behavior may extend to the prison context. Indeed, the few studies that have examined this relationship find that incarcerated persons who have a family incarceration history are more likely to have rule violations, which suggests family history may be a risk factor for misconduct. To investigate, the current study uses coarsened exact matching and data from the Survey of Prison Inmates to examine the misconduct of incarcerated persons with and without a family history of incarceration net of the effects of other covariates. After matching, results indicate that there is no statistically significant differences in misconduct between those with no family history of incarceration compared to those with a sibling or a parent who has been incarcerated.

Deterrence versus procedural justice: Successfully reducing prison misconduct and recidivism

Deterrence versus procedural justice: Successfully reducing prison misconduct and recidivism

Serious, Violent, and Chronic Prison Misconduct: Are the Predictors the Same for Women and Men?

Inmate misconduct is a focal concern among those who live and work in prisons, and is committed primarily by a few offenders with discernable backgrounds. The current study examines the most prolific rule violators (the top 1 and 10%) among a large sample of inmates housed across Ohio correctional facilities. We focus on the characteristics that predict membership into these categories and whether differences in their rates of occurrence exist between males and females. Findings show more similarities than differences between groups. Implication for theory and practice are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.

Prison misconduct, prisoners’ backgrounds, and reoffending

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact on recidivism of offenders’ misconduct in prison, net of offenders’ socio-economic and criminal backgrounds, longer imprisonments, and of other, unobserved factors explaining selection into prison. The data come from representative samples of offenders (N = 4524) and prisoners (N = 1848) convicted of at least one crime in Catalonia, Spain, during a 5-year period (2010–2015). We applied a system of four simultaneous equations to estimate which factors increase the most the risks of reoffending, focusing on the role of prison misconduct, and using better methods than previously to correct for selectivity into prison. We also identify the characteristics of the offenders most likely to misbehave and reoffend – chronic offenders with complex criminal histories. Our results confirm that misconduct significantly predicts reoffending. It is not just a reflection of offender’s problematic dispositions imported into prison, but also a sign of maladjustment to imprisonment that undermines its possibly deterrent or capacitating effects.

Mental health disparities in solitary confinement

AbstractHarsh prison conditions have been widely examined for their effects on the mental health of incarcerated people, but few studies have examined whether mental health status exposes individuals to harsh treatment in the penal system. With prisoners confined to their cells for up to 23 hours each day, often being denied visitors or phone calls, solitary confinement is an important case for studying harsh treatment in prisons. Routinely used as punishment for prison infractions, solitary confinement may be subject to the same forces that criminalize the mentally ill in community settings. Analyzing a large administrative data set showing admissions to solitary confinement in state prison, we find high rates of punitive isolation among those with serious mental illness. Disparities by mental health status result from the cumulative effects of prison misconduct charges and disciplinary hearings. We estimate that those with serious mental illness spend three times longer in solitary confinement than similar incarcerated people with no mental health problems. The evidence suggests the stigma of dangerousness follows people into prison, and the criminalization of mental illness accompanies greater severity of incarceration.

The Effect of Legal Status on Prison Misconduct

The present study examines the relationship between legal status and prisoner misconduct by comparing official disciplinary infraction reports between documented, undocumented, and native-born inmates. We also examine the extent to which such effects vary across different types (i.e., criminal and non-criminal) of reported infractions. Using data from the Florida Department of Corrections, the results reveal that undocumented foreigners have a higher likelihood and a higher frequency of any misconduct and criminal misconduct as well as a higher frequency of non-criminal misconduct than the other two groups, while no such differences are found between documented and native-born prisoners. Our research underscores the salient role of legal status in predicting the in-prison behaviors of foreign-born inmates.

Religion and Misconduct Among Prison Inmates in South Korea.

Although faith-based programs are present in most prisons for offender rehabilitation, the effect of religion on prison inmates remains an understudied topic. In addition, existing research shows mixed results about the religious effect. The present study intends to not only advance the understanding of inmate's prison misconduct but also examine whether religion is likely to contribute to reducing the risk of misconduct using a non-Western sample of inmates. To assess the relationship between inmates' religion and prison misconduct, we applied negative binomial regression to analyze survey data from 986 Korean adult male inmates. Results showed that inmates who had a religious affiliation with Catholicism or Buddhism were less likely to report prison misconduct than those who had no religion. In addition, the inverse relationship was observed whether inmates had participated in religion before incarceration or came to participate in religion while incarcerated, depending on religious denomination.

Prison Misconduct and the Use of Alternative Resolutions by Correctional Officers in Therapeutic Communities and Other Custody Units.

This mixed methods study uses official records and interviews with inmates and staff to compare misconduct in therapeutic communities (TC's) and the use of alternative resolutions (in lieu of formal charges by correctional officers) to other prison units. Prisoner misconduct has been studied using individual self-reports or aggregate prison rates, but unit level differences between TC's and other prison wings are often overlooked. Restorative justice and diversion approaches are much studied in the community corrections literature but correctional officer use of alternatives to charging, such as mediation, is not well understood. The study examines differences in prisoner behavior by unit function by comparing misconduct over a 24 month period in therapeutic communities to general population, worker, protective custody, mental health, and high risk units. Study findings show lower misconduct in TC's, including more serious misconduct such as fights. Furthermore, a significant proportion of overall charges were diverted into alternative resolution (AR)s, particularly within therapeutic communities. Interviewees reported a different approach taken in the TC toward discipline with a greater use of interaction, informal warnings, and application of AR, as opposed to formal charges. Future research is recommended using qualitative research strategies to appraise the alternative resolution decision process and prisoner-staff perceptions of discipline.

Assessing the Distinct Factors Driving Violent, Drug and Disorder-Related Prison Misconduct from Longitudinal Data in Northern Ireland

Abstract Studies are increasingly interested in how different categories of prison misconduct may affect reoffending. Yet few studies investigate the distinct factors driving different types of misconduct and those that do are often cross-sectional or retrospective. This study uses a prospective longitudinal design to address this gap by investigating what factors influence future involvement in misconduct and if these factors vary by type. Administrative data drawn from the records of 429 imprisoned men are examined to predict misconduct during a 1-year follow-up period. Findings reveal distinct differences by type and suggestions for targeted support and tailored interventions are made to help prevent future infractions within, and potentially after, incarceration.

The Women Who Don’t Get Counted

The Women Who Don’t Get Counted