Risk Factors of Violent and Drug Misconduct among Female Inmates

• In Event: Female Offenders

Abstract

A considerable number of studies have been conducted during the past decades to uncover risk factors of misconduct among prison inmates. However, most research on inmate misconduct has focused exclusively on male prisoners. Although misconduct, particularly violence, occurs less frequently among female compared to male inmates, the problem of prison misconduct among women is by no means negligible. The goal of this study was therefore to examine which variables are significantly related to violent and drug misconduct among female inmates. A total of 461 female prisoners were surveyed. Binary logistic regression analyses of their self-report data showed that violence against fellow inmates was predicted by the inmates’ violent beliefs. Additionally, the odds of perpetrating prison violence decreased significantly with increasing age. With regard to drug misconduct, the analysis revealed that violent beliefs and serving a sentence for a drug offense were positively related to the outcome variable. A positive relationship between staff and inmates, on the other hand, significantly reduced the odds of drug misconduct. Additionally, the two outcome variables drug use and violence were positively and significantly correlated with each other. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

Author

• Thimna Klatt, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony