Social Support, Gender, and Inmate Adjustment to Prison Life: Insights From a National Sample

• NCJ Number: 213412
• Journal: Prison Journal Volume: 86 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2006 Pages: 32-55
• Author(s): Shanhe Jiang; L. Thomas Winfree Jr.
• Date Published: March 2006
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier version of this work was presented at the 2004 annual meetings of the American Society of Criminology in Nashville, TN.

Annotation

Using a multilevel analysis, this study examined links between social-support mechanisms and reported rule violations in a nationally representative sample of male and female State prison inmates.

Abstract

Findings show that female inmates had significantly higher levels of social support from outside and within prison compared with male inmates. This may be because women inmates are more willing and able to create and maintain interpersonal ties while in prison. Although female inmates had higher social support from their children, male inmates received higher support from their spouses. Calls from family members was linked to lower rule violations per month for both male and female inmates; however, the variables of mail received, number of visits, and formal and informal support within prison did not affect inmate rule violations. Since married male inmates made better adjustments to prison life, the authors recommend that prison staff help maintain the marriages of male inmates. Female inmates are strongly motivated to communicate with their children; therefore, prison staff should encourage inmate contacts with children; this increases adjustment in prison and after release. A total of 275 State prisons, including 220 male inmate prisons and 55 female inmate prisons, participated in the 1997 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, yielding completed surveys for approximately 14,000 inmates. The dependent variable--rule violation per month for each inmate since admission to prison--encompassed 13 types of prison rule violations. Independent variables were five types of social contact from outside the prison and two types of social contact within prison. Control variables were age, race, number of prior sentences, current sentence, regular polydrug use, security level, and inmate population size. Bivariate and multilevel analyses of data were conducted. 2 tables, 6 notes, and 75 references