“If you give them all of that they’ll just hurt each other”: Changes in serious misconducts on the Little Scandinavia unit

• In Event: A Changing Prison Environment? Preliminary Empirical Observations from The Scandinavian Prison Project

Abstract

Prison misconducts are behaviors that violate the rules of the correctional facilities in which incarcerated people are confined. The levels of misconduct are typically used to assess institutional safety and the ability of staff to maintain order. Some of the structural changes to the “Little Scandinavia” unit – including access to single cells, cooking utensils, and unbolted furniture – are typically considered safety risks in prisons. Assessing the impact of these changes on the rate and nature of misconduct in the unit is therefore paramount. Prison misconduct is typically explained using three theoretical perspectives: Deprivation theory, which highlights misconduct as manifestations of how incarcerated people respond to the “pains of imprisonment”; Importation theory, which emphasizes pre-institution characteristics, beliefs, and experiences; and Management perspectives, which emphasize prison management practices. Here, we consider the deprivation and management perspectives in more detail. Analyses rely on administrative data from the PADOC on adjudicated misconducts related to behaviors including violence and contraband. Preliminary results suggest that misconduct rates are down, relative to baseline, despite the potentially increased risk introduced to the in-prison environment. We use qualitative interview data from the residents and staff on the unit to shed light on potential mechanisms behind this pattern.

Authors

• Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University

• Synøve Nygaard Andersen, University of Oslo

• Steven L. Chanenson, Villanova University