NCJ Number
134030
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 17 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 119-132
Date Published
1991
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This investigation tested the prediction that, given the occurrence of an infraction, certain situational variables including location of incident, housing wing of inmate, shift, job assignment of reporting officer, and involvement of other inmates could be identified as predictors of whether this infraction included an individual act of violence. The investigation was conducted in a medium-security California State prison in a unit of 500 men identified as having some psychiatric or behavior problems while incarcerated.
Abstract
The findings showed that violent incidents comprised just over half of all infractions. Logit analyses revealed that there were significant situational predictors of each type of aggression. Violence toward staff was most likely to occur in areas where inmates were engaged in unstructured activities; inmates were more likely to be alone when acting aggressively toward staff. Violence directed at other inmates occurred wherever inmates were allowed to congregate, while violence toward self was less likely to occur anywhere outside the inmate's cell or dorm area. Property violence also occurred less when an inmate was outside the cell or dorm areas and never occurred while an inmate was at school, a job, or an appointment. The results support the position that background and personality factors should be supplemented with situational predictors in order to understand prison violence. 1 table, 1 notes, and 31 references