Using Situational Factors to Predict Types of Prison Violence

Abstract

This study tested situational factors as predictors o f types o f individual aggressive incidents in a male prison population. The majority of past reser~rch on predicting individual incidents o f prison violence has seriously downplayed situational factors. The situational variables used covered three general questions: Where? When? and Who Else?. Incidents of violence were categorized by whether the occurrence o f an infraction involved aggressive behavior directed at staff, another inmate, self, or property. This study found that situational variables did serve as predictors of these categories of violence. These results support the position that background or personality factors, when used without situational factors. may not providc n complete understanding of prison violence.

Assessing the Social Climate of Prisons

“…Cooke (1992), for example, has reviewed evidence that identifies four elements of the social climate as important predictors of institutional incidents: staff-inmate communication; staff training; staff experience; and staff morale. Steinke (1991) also found that situational factors in the prison environment predicted aggressive behaviour directed at staff, another inmate, self, or property. Similarly, Struckman-Johnson and Struckman-Johnson (2000) reported that certain features of the institution such as large population size, racial conflict, barracks housing, inadequate security, and having a high percentage of inmates incarcerated for a crime against persons, were significantly related to an increase in sexual coercion rates.…”

Individual and group IQ predict inmate violence

“…Situational explanations of misconduct suggest that the specific context in which an event occurs may be more important than stable inmate characteristics. Certain areas of prisons seem to promote violent misconduct more than others: incidents occur most often in places of unstructured congregation such as work and recreation areas (Jiang & Fisher-Giorlando, 2002;Steinke, 1991). Further, Steinke (1991) uncovered a relationship between ambient temperature and violent misconduct, with incidences more likely to occur during times of high temperatures.…”

The Effect of CCTV on Prisoner Misbehavior

“…For example, self-harm is most likely to occur in locations with little supervision (such as cells and dorm areas). Inmate-on-officer assaults have been found to occur most frequently in areas of prisoner movement where officers are in a supervisory role, including corridors, dining rooms, recreation areas, and showers (Steinke, 1991).…”