Summarizes the results of a research program on the effects of crowding in prisons and jails. The relationship of crowding to rates of suicides, violent and nonviolent deaths, psychiatric commitments, inmate-on-inmate assaults, disciplinary infractions, and attempted suicides and self-mutilations as evidenced in archival records of 175,000+ inmates from 4 state prison systems were examined. Field research in prisons and jails yielded data on 2,500+ individual inmates, including illness complaints, blood pressure, perceived crowding, and housing evaluations. The impact of space and social density are discussed, focusing on the various housing arrangements available in prisons. Findings show that, in general, crowding in prisons was related to increased pathology. Theoretical considerations of the effects of crowding are discussed in terms of a social interaction demand model that incorporates uncertainty, goal interference, and cognitive load. Implications of the model and outcomes of a crowded situation are addressed. It is concluded that the primary causes of negative effects related to crowding are due to cognitive strain, anxiety or fear, and frustration intrinsic to most social interactions in crowded settings. (56 ref)

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Illness complaint rates were examined in relation to degree of crowding in a federal prison and a county jail. It was found that dorm inmates in the prison had higher complaint rates than those in single cells. In the jail inmates in units of high spatial and social density had higher complaint rates than those in less crowded units. These findings suggest that crowding in prisons may induce psychological stress which can be reflected in an increased level of illness complaints.

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Inmates at a federal correctional institution were examined for their criterion of what constitutes overcrowding. In general, inmates who were housed under highly crowded conditions exhibited less tolerance of overcrowding than did those who were housed under relatively less crowded conditions. Higher crowding also yielded more negative affective responses to the physical environment. This relationship existed only with respect t o a social-density measure of crowding and not for a spatial-density measure.