NCJ Number
41935
Date Published
Unknown
Length
77 pages
Annotation
USING THE OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONAL REPORTS ON ASSAULTS, INTERVIEWS WITH PRISON SUPERINTENDENTS, AND OBSERVATIONS OF INMATES, THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE CAUSES, NATURE, AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO INMATE ASSAULTS.
Abstract
THE PROJECT HAD FOUR GENERAL INTERRELATED GOALS: TO ESTIMATE THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF ASSAULT OCCURING WITHIN NORTH CAROLINA'S PRISON INSTITUTIONS, TO ESTIMATE THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH ASSAULT WITHIN NORTH CAROLINA'S PRISON INSTITUTIONS, TO IDENTIFY THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF ASSAULTS, AND TO OFFER GUIDANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IN FORMULATING NEW PROGRAMS WHOSE PURPOSE WOULD BE TO REDUCE ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR AND CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION. AMONG THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY WERE THAT THE ESTIMATED TOTAL ASSAULT RATE WAS 5.6 PERCENT; THAT AN INMATE WAS SUBJECTED TO A RISK OF ASSAULT WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE TIMES THAT OF HIS NON-INSTITUTIONAL COUNTERPART; THAT SIXTY PERCENT OF ALL ASSAULTS OCCUR IN INMATE SLEEPING AREAS; THAT THE MAIN PRECIPITATING CAUSES OF ASSAULT ARE VERBAL ABUSE, PROPERTY AND MONEY MATTERS, AND REVENGE; AND THAT AN INMATE WAS SUBJECTED TO THE SAME RISK OF BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AS A NON-INSTITUTIONAL FEMALE LIVING IN A LARGE U.S. CITY. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE CHANCES OF AN INMATE BECOMING A VICTIM ARE CONSIDERABLY GREATER IF THE INMATE HAS HIMSELF COMMITTED ASSAULT, AND THAT WHITE VICTIMIZATION RATES ARE HIGHER THAN BLACK VICTIMIZATION RATES BECAUSE BLACKS ARE MORE LIKELY TO VICTIMIZE ACROSS RACIAL LINES. INCREASING THE QUANTITY AND EFFICIENCY OF SUPERVISION AND REORGANIZATION OF THE INMATE POPULATION ARE SUGGESTED AS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)