Examining the Use of Restrictive Housing among Incarcerated Women

• In Event: Examining the Use, Impacts, and Perceptions of Restrictive Housing

Abstract

Placement into restrictive housing is a controversial sanction that can be experienced during incarceration. Nevertheless, little is known about who is placed in restrictive housing and under what conditions—especially in female correctional facilities. Although this practice is often used to isolate inmates who pose a risk to the operation and security of an institution, assessments of “risk” underlying placement decisions are often highly gendered. Given differing institutional norms and gendered role expectations, the tolerance threshold for women’s behavior may be lower than typically used for men. Women who “talk back” and “give attitude” may be sanctioned and ultimately placed into segregation for such behavior—a trend that may be particularly pronounced for women of color. Accordingly, using administrative records on over 6,000 female inmates released from prison in a southwestern state between 2011 and 2014, this study will assess the factors associated with: 1) women’s placements into restrictive housing; 2) placements into particular types of restrictive housing (i.e., administrative, disciplinary, and mental health segregation); and 3) the length of time spent there. Multilevel modeling techniques will be used given that multiple housing placements are recorded for each inmate. Avenues for future research and policy implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Melinda Tasca, Sam Houston State University

• Jillian Turanovic, Florida State University