The Effect of Military Service on Misconduct in Prison

• In Event: Inmate Misconduct

Abstract

Few empirical studies have examined whether military service influences prisoner experiences and behavior. However, military service is a neglected and potentially critical factor that may have a considerable influence on veterans’ ability to cope with prison life. Scholarship, for example, has long held that inmate behavior stems in part from cultural beliefs as well as sociodemographic characteristics that inmates “import” into the correctional setting. Drawing on prior theory and research, this study develops and tests a series of hypotheses to examine whether military service affects veterans’ likelihood of engaging in prison misconduct. More broadly, it seeks to add to a greater understanding of prisoner experiences and behavior during confinement. The implications of this study are discussed.

Author

• Brandon T. Bakes, Florida State University