NCJ Number
110119
Date Published
1988
Length
115 pages
Annotation
This volume summarizes a 15-year research effort designed to determine the effects of prison crowding and their relationship to the broader field of crowding phenomena and theories.
Abstract
Study data came from record reviews, telephone and personal interviews with correctional staff and inmates, and site visits to prisons providing a broad range of housing types. Most of the data came from Federal prisons and local jails. Data were also gathered from several State prisons. The analysis showed that when prisons increase in population or exceed designed capacity, a variety of negative effects result. Changes in prison populations are associated with changes in death rates, psychiatric commitments, suicides, and disciplinary infractions. Prisons with 500 or fewer inmates show many fewer problems than larger ones. The impact of prison size and the degree of crowding also depends on factors like inmate characteristics, inmate-staff relations, the design of the housing quarters, inmate programming, and policies that influence inmate movement and interaction. Double cells do not appear to be a major problem, although housing inmates with compatible cellmates will result in less negative reactions. Limiting turnover in housing units as much as possible will help minimize some of the problems of living in crowded housing. Effects of crowding vary for different inmates. Photographs, tables, figures, index, appended questionnaire, and 129 references.