Exploring the Correspondence Between General Correctional Programming and Inmate Misconduct Using a Time-Course Framework

Inmate misconduct continues to threaten safety and order within correctional institutions. Yet few studies have examined its longitudinal nature. In this paper we explore the correspondence between correctional programming and inmate misconduct. To do this, we draw from Linning et al.’s time-course framework devised to improve the design and evaluation of interventions by considering effects that can occur before, during, and after programming. We provide the first empirical demonstration of their framework using prisoner misconduct data collected from all Ohio prisons between January 2008 and June 2012. A cross-lagged panel analysis provides support for the use of a time-course framework. Results show that misconduct decreased during programming. However, we observed increases in misconduct prior to and following exposure to programming. Our results suggest that future work needs to improve our understanding of causal mechanisms of inmate misconduct and when their effects are expected.

Using Structural Equations to Model the Relationships between Procedural Justice, Risky Lifestyles, and Violent Inmate Misconduct

Prior research has consistently shown that perceptions of procedural justice promote individuals’ compliance with the law. Several studies have also identified mechanisms that explain the association between perceptions of procedural justice and compliance (e.g., social identity). However, the potential role of risky behaviors as a mediator of the association between procedural justice and compliance remains unexplored. This study examined whether risky behaviors can mediate the relationship between procedural justice and violent inmate misconduct. Data for this study were derived from a sample of 986 incarcerated felons in South Korea. The present study employed structural equation modeling to test how risky lifestyles mediate the association between procedural justice and violent misconduct. The results showed that procedural justice reduced violent inmate misconduct. Additionally, the mediation hypothesis received partial support: the direct effect of procedural justice on violent misconduct was partially mediated by involvement in risky activities. Taken together, the results highlight the importance of the interrelationship between procedural justice, risky lifestyles, and violent misconduct in a prison setting.

The Methods of Digital Forecasting of Inmate Misconduct in Penal Institutions

The authors use the analysis of existing research ideas regarding the structure and content of the criminological prediction methodology to examine modern approaches to predicting illegal activities in penitentiary institutions. They analyze and classify the objects of prevention — those inmates in places of confinement who need to be controlled while serving their sentence because they have a range of unlawful behavior. In the diagnostic sub-task the object is viewed as a source of information whose attributes and features are studied as they manifest its essence and condition. The authors present a large-scale review of Russian and foreign publications to research the evolution of scientific ideas regarding the contents of the hypothesis as a basis of criminological prediction. While recognizing the value of theoretical criminological achievements, the authors set the goal of analyzing the possible ways of integrating criminology and operative search activities for the identification of pre-criminal behavior in places of confinement. Using the theory of criminological prediction and empirical materials, the authors analyze the possibilities of designing a multi-factor prediction model for individual unlawful behavior by transforming this model into a system of corresponding indicators and risk factors of pre-criminal behavior. They conduct a systemic analysis of the contents of socio-demographic, penitentiary, psychological variables, as well as variables connected with the criminal past as an aggregate of risk factors of pre-criminal behavior. They also describe the essence of digital prediction methods - predictive analytics, analytical intelligence, initiative analytics, - which are used to build a system of indicators for studying and assessing the behavior of certain categories of inmates. The authors show the necessity of using digital analytical methods of making managerial decisions regarding the preventive measures of rapid response in cases of the destructive behavior of inmates. Using the regularities that form the basis of criminological prediction, the authors state that it is necessary to develop the methods of digital prediction and to adapt key features of the digital environment and newest information and telecommunication technologies to solving the tasks of preventing offences among inmates.

Moral Communities and Institutional Misconduct: A Reassessment of Religious Contextual Influences on Inmate Behavior

Most of the research into religious influences on inmate misconduct has been undertaken with respect to personal religious participation. However, the religious environment of prisons offers potential influences on inmate behavior by providing social control and support. Currently, the literature is mixed regarding the association between religious context and inmate behavior. This article reconciles the divergent findings regarding religious contexts, and integrates recently emergent directions in religious contextual research. Using nationally representative data of inmates in state and federal prisons, I estimate multilevel models of several different forms of misconduct. The results indicate a relationship between religious context and each form of misconduct, highlighting the role of cultural contexts on inmate behavior.