NCJ Number
196603
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 82 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2002 Pages: 335-358
Editor(s)
Rosemary L. Gido
Date Published
September 2002
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article examines inmate disciplary reports, as an indicator of prisons' effective social control, by means of three theorectical models, deprivation, importation, and situational, in order to explain violent incidents, and incidents against correctional staff and other inmates in prison.
Abstract
This study was based on the assumption that inmate disciplinary reports were a measure of a prison's effective social control, due to the fact that an inmate's misconduct reflected his adjustment to prison and was the basis for disciplinary measures. A sample of 431 disciplinary reports, from a men's State prison in the deep South, was the basis for the finding that all three models helped explain violent incidents. The situational model reflected the effect of situational factors on prison adjustment, the importation model reflects the effect of pre-prison factors on prison adjustment, and the deprivation model reflected the effect of deprivation on prison adjustment. The situational and importation models contributed to explanations of incidents against other inmates. The deprivation and situational models helped explain incidents against correctional staff. The situational model was found to be the most powerful of the three models in explaining inmate misconduct, based on the total chi-square change of the model. However, based on the average of chi-square change per variable in each model, the deprivation model was the most powerful and the situational was the least in explaining violent incidents and incidents against correctional staff. In conclusion, it is recommended that in order to make correctional institutions safe and secure places for those who live and work there, further research is needed on prisoner misconduct. Tables, notes, references