Gender and Race Differences in the Impact of In-Prison Punishments on Future Misconduct

• In Event: Inmate Misconduct: Risk Factors and Punishment

Abstract

Reducing inmate violence is a critical mechanism for maintaining prison social order. As such, correctional administrators use a number of tactics aimed at punishing inmates found guilty of misconduct, and at the same time, deterring inmates from future instances of rule breaking behavior. However, only a handful of studies examine the impact of in-prison punishments on future behavior. Moreover, little research exists examining the differences in the expected effectiveness of in-prison punishments across male and female inmates of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The effectiveness of these sanctions is in turn largely unknown. This study assesses whether three different in-prison punishments (disciplinary confinement, losses in gain time, and assignment to extra work duty) have consequences for future violent and non-violent misconduct, timing to future misconduct, and whether these effects vary among male and female inmates of Black, White, and Hispanic background. The results have important implications for theory and research on prison experiences and social order, and for understanding the effectiveness of in-prison sanctions.

Author

• Elisa Toman, Sam Houston State University