Officer down – Analyzing 120 years of correctional officer homicides

• In Event: Issues Related to Victimization in Correctional Settings

Abstract

Most research on prison violence focuses on incarcerated populations, but few scholars have examined the phenomenon of prison staff homicides. We can better understand the prison environment and the dangers that prison staff face if we examine these incidents with the same care as mortality among prisoners. Data on 399 state and federal prison staff homicides over a 120 year period were obtained from the Officer Down Memorial Page. The prevalence, rate, trends, and characteristics of these homicides were examined to identify differences over time and between men and women who were killed. Men were the most likely victims in all time periods, especially in decades where women made up a smaller proportion of prison employees. Prior to 1950, gunshot deaths were more common, and women were more likely to die by asphyxiation than men. Women were most often killed during a sexual assault, and men were most likely to be killed during an escape attempt. Correctional officers have a dangerous job even if the overall risk of death by homicide is low, and the effects of an officer homicide can have profound effects on prison policies and trust between staff and prisoners.

Author

• Joshua S. Long, University of Massachusetts Lowell