An Opportunity Model of the Sources of Safety Risks among Jail Inmates

• In Event: Theory Based Victimology

Abstract

Inmates are susceptible to violent victimization and other safety risks because correctional institutions bring potential victims (i.e., suitable targets) and offenders together in time and space. Very little is known about the sources of these risks, however, and researchers have often examined indicators of safety (e.g., victimization) using prison- rather than jail-based samples. We draw from the general opportunity framework to examine the correlates of safety risks using survey data from a representative sample of inmates in a large jail located in the Midwest.

Authors

• Jared M. Ellison, Old Dominion University

• Benjamin Steiner, University of Nebraska at Omaha