NCJ Number
172116
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 77 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1997) Pages: 27-40
Date Published
1997
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Factors that influence inmate perceptions of crowding were studied using data from 581 inmates of 3 Ohio correctional institutions that operated at their design capacities at the time of data collection.
Abstract
The study was prompted by recognition that the impact of population crowding on an individual's mental well-being has important implications for the goals of institutional corrections. These goals include effective treatment, the prevention of violence and victimization in the prison, and the reduction of psychological stress among inmates. Data were collected by means of anonymous self-report surveys that were given to inmates when confined to their cells during a count. Six of the nine independent variables in the logit model were statistically significant. Three preinstitutional variables (age, race, and whether an inmate was incarcerated for a sex offense) and three institutional variables (victimization experience, visitation, and a facility's architectural design) were significant predictors of the perception of crowding. Findings indicated significant variations among inmates in the perception of crowding. Findings suggested that policies that require prison administrators to match inmate populations to design capacities may do little for improving the perceptions of some groups of inmates regarding the facility environment. However, findings also supported arguments for handling older inmates and sex offenders separately from the mainstream population. In addition, actions such as encouraging family visits and housing inmates in smaller groups in podular facilities mayimprove inmate attitudes. Tables and 39 references (Author abstract modified)