Guilty or not? Examining the factors resulting in guilty misconduct for violent incidents in prison

• In Event: Violence and Misconduct in Carceral Institutions: Patterns, Risks, and Institutional Response

Abstract

Most of what we know about prison violence is based on official administrative misconduct data but violent incidents that occur in prison do not always result in official sanctions. To date, we have limited knowledge of the individual, incident, and unit level factors that lead to official sanctions, and have not been able to differentiate between violence with and without formal sanctions. To gain deeper insight into this issue, the current study analyzes over 700 violent incident reports (including staff assaults and violence between incarcerated people) involving over 1100 incarcerated individuals across more than 50 units from a southwestern state prison system. Our analysis will first examine individual-level factors (e.g., age, race, mental health, gang status) associated with violent incidents resulting in guilty misconduct. Then, using multi-level modelling, we nest individuals within incidents and units to consider the influence of individual-level, incident-level and unit-level factors on violent incidents resulting in guilty misconduct. Findings aim to inform evidence-based policy and improve management practices in correctional institutions.

Authors

• Kylie Reale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

• Julia Bell, Northeastern University

• Natasha Frost, Northeastern University

• Nancy Rodriguez, University of California, Irvine