Hanging Out in Prison: The Link Between Inmates’ Network Position and Their Behavioral Adjustment

• In Event: Inmate Social Networks

Abstract

A social network is defined by the social relations (e.g., friendship, conflict) that connect all individuals within a setting. Prison units are a special example of such settings in which individuals have no choice in whom they interact with except for the other inmates. Based on social learning theories, behavior and attitudes of inmates to whom one is tied is likely associated with individual behaviors and attitudes. In addition, social capital theory implies that one’s position in the social network, i.e., the level of embeddedness, is likely to affect inmate adjustment. In contrast to studies on inmates’ self-reported social interactions, this study takes a network approach to understand inmate social relations. As such, we asked 200 inmates from two prisons in the Netherlands to nominate up to ten inmates whom they hang out with most in the prison unit. We also collected data on each inmate’s behavioral adjustment. Using advanced statistical techniques, we can analyze to what extent one’s position in the social network – centrality in the network versus social isolation as indicated by the number of received nominations – is related to behavioral adjustment. This study is one of the first to provide a quantitative account of prison social structure.

Authors

• Miranda Sentse, Leiden University

• Hanneke Palmen, Leiden University

• Anja Dirkzwager, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement

• Paul Nieuwbeerta, Leiden University