The Impact of Restrictive Housing on Institutional Safety and Order: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature

• In Event: Perspectives and Research on Restrictive Housing

Abstract

Introduction: A justification for the use of restrictive housing is that this type of confinement is an effective deterrent of unwanted behavior in custodial settings. A counter-argument is that individuals placed in restrictive housing are more likely to violate institutional rules because of their experience in this setting and that there is no systems-level deterrent on violence and disorder. Design/Methods: To assess the merits of these competing perspectives, we systematically collect, review, and synthesize empirical research that estimates the impact of restrictive housing on individual and aggregate measures of institutional safety and order. Results: The constituent studies for the review are summarized based on the direction, statistical significance, and magnitude of their effect sizes. This review also discusses the literature by type of restrictive housing, methodological design, and outcome. Discussion: The summary results are interpreted in the context of the two competing theoretical perspectives. The research and policy implications of the study’s findings are discussed.

Authors

• Ryan M. Labrecque, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Nicole Jasperson, RTI International

• Joseph Schwartz, Florida State University

• Sonja Siennick, Florida State University

• Daniel P. Mears, Florida State University