NCJ Number
126015
Date Published
1990
Length
588 pages
Annotation
Information about prison disturbances by inmates in New York State prisons between 1977 and 1982 formed the basis of an analysis of both violent and nonviolent incidents in terms of the nature of the incidents, the characteristics of the inmates involved, and the circumstances.
Abstract
The analysis focused on whether the incidents were purposive or issueless, the causes of the incidents, the predisposing and precipitating factors, and the possibility of developing a predictive model. Findings indicated that the three factors necessary to an incident were a reason, a group of willing inmates, and an opportunity to create the disturbance. Opportunities included security lapses, the suspicious death of an inmate, an attempt to enforce an unused rule, or the change of administration. Findings supported several theories regarding collective behavior. These include Smelser's value-added theory of riot development, Marx's theory of issueless riots, and Useem's interpretation of breakdown and deprivation theories. Results also showed that disturbances are not random and that violent and nonviolent incidents differ in their characteristics, participants, and causal circumstances. Findings also suggested the need for prison administrators to focus their efforts on minimizing the reasons and opportunities for disturbances. Figures, tables, footnotes, literature review, and 292 references