Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and the Propensity for Violence while Incarcerated.

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Race and Offending Relationships

Abstract

Research on American prison violence unfailingly discovers racial and gender-based disparities in the likelihood of getting in trouble while serving time. These inequalities disfavor Blacks, Latinos, and young men. Race has been cited as a risk factor for inmate violence, yet most prior research has narrowly investigated White/Black differences in inmate misconduct. A sample of 178,049 inmates from 3 geographically diverse state correctional systems will be used to test for racial, ethnic and gender differences in the prevalence and frequency of violence among male and female Black, White, and Latinos prisoners.

Authors

• Frank Anthony Rodriguez, Mercyhurst University

• Jonathan Sorensen, East Carolina University