Violence among prisoners in Croatia: insights from 2011 and 2023 studies

• In Event: PWG - Violence, self-harm, and safety in prison settings

Abstract

Violence within prison systems remains a critical issue, posing significant challenges to the safety and rehabilitation of prisoners. This phenomenon is influenced by a complex interplay of individual, social, and environmental factors. One prominent factor often discussed in relation to prison violence is overcrowding. According to official data, the Croatian prison system experienced a sharp increase in overcrowding from 2004 (prison density per 100 places: 100.6) to 2010 (prison density per 100 places: 154.1). This prompted researchers from the Department of Criminology to conduct a study on prison violence within the Croatian system in 2011. Official data indicated that, following a period of reduced overcrowding after 2011, a new wave of overcrowding has emerged since 2021. Both the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the Croatian Ombudsman have alerted the government to the issue of violence among prisoners in overcrowded conditions, motivating a follow-up study in 2023. A total of 786 prisoners participated in the study (425 in 2011 and 361 in 2023). To assess the prevalence of violent victimization and violent behavior, a 24-item questionnaire was developed, covering both lifetime and past-year experiences (violent victimisation and violent behavior) (responses ranged from 1. never to 7. ten or more times). The aim of this paper is to examine the differences in violence among prisoners at these two time points under varying prison density conditions.

Authors

• Irma Kovčo Vukadin, University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Criminology

• Martina Pleško, University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Criminology

• Martina Lotar Rihtarić, University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Criminology