Poster #83 - Pathways to Prison Grievances: Examining Legal Consciousness and Rights Mobilization, Using a machine learning method

• In Event: Poster Session II (posters 80 – 155)

Abstract

Legal consciousness and rights mobilization remain important concerns among marginalized and disempowered populations, particularly within coercive institutional settings such as prisons. Although prison grievance systems were established to provide incarcerated individuals with a formal avenue to express concerns and seek redress, limited research has examined the factors that shape the awareness, perception, and mobilization of these rights within correctional institutions. Using prison inmate survey data, this study examines how legal consciousness influences grievance mobilization among incarcerated individuals. Specifically, this study explores how knowledge of grievance procedures, and institutional legitimacy shape the willingness of incarcerated individuals to formally file grievances. In addition to the regression models, this study employs Kernel-based Regularized Least Squares (KRLS) to account for potential nonlinearities and interaction effects among key explanatory variables. Findings from this study are expected to contribute to the prison literature by advancing understanding of how incarcerated individuals interpret and engage with formal legal mechanisms within prison settings.

Author

• Gift Onwuadiamu, University of Delaware