Examining the Impact of Restrictive Housing Placements on Behavioral Misconduct

• In Event: Outcomes Associated with Placement in Restrictive Prison Settings

Abstract

The use of restrictive housing in prison is often justified by corrections officials based on the presumption that it improves institutional safety. Critics of this practice, however, argue that it can cause serious psychological harm and may even increase noncompliance with institutional rules and expectations. Despite this ongoing debate, there is a lack of empirical knowledge on the impact that restrictive housing placements have on behavioral outcomes in prison, particularly for individuals who engage in repeated violence. Using disciplinary prison data (2018-2020) from a western state, the current study seeks to examine whether the number of placements into restrictive housing impacts subsequent nonviolent, single-incident violent, and repeat violent misconducts through multinomial logistic regression. Individual-level risk factors such as prior criminal convictions, mental health and substance abuse scores, recidivism risk scores, custody level, gang affiliation status, and demographics will also be considered. Implications for future research and correctional policy will be discussed.

Authors

• Kylie S. Reale, University of California, Irvine

• Nancy Rodriguez, University of California, Irvine

• Jillian Turanovic, Florida State University