Exploring Gender and Racial/Ethnic Patterns of Minor Institutional Infractions

• In Event: Gender and Racial Disparities in Corrections

Abstract

Despite a large body of work on predictors of violent misconduct in prison, less attention has been paid to minor infractions. There is some evidence to suggest that women and racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to be ticketed for minor misconduct such as defiance. This pattern may be due to broader discretion afforded to officers when less serious behavior occurs (i.e., talking back, disobeying verbal orders). It is critical to better understand factors associated with varied types of institutional infractions given the host of negative consequences that can result from having a record of prison misconduct such as placement into restricted housing, reduced access to visitation and programming opportunities. Accordingly, this study will examine gender and racial/ethnic patterns of minor institutional infractions using official records on the full population of released prisoners from the Arizona Department of Corrections during fiscal years of 2011-2013 (N=38,839). Directions for future research and policy implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Ahram Cho, Sam Houston State University

• Melinda Tasca, Sam Houston State University