Gender and the Effect of Disciplinary Segregation on Prison Misconduct

Scholars and policymakers have advanced different arguments for why restrictive housing may improve or worsen inmate behavior, yet few studies exist that assess the impact of this housing on such outcomes. This study draws upon prior theory and research to hypothesize that inmate adjustment will worsen after placement in disciplinary segregation among a 3-year admission cohort of inmates from a large Midwestern state department of corrections ( N = 40,979), and further that this effect will be more harmful to men. The results of our propensity score matching analyses reveal the use of disciplinary segregation is associated with a greater probability of misconduct among men and has no appreciable effect on women. These findings challenge the view that disciplinary segregation is an effective strategy for improving inmate behavior in prison. This work further highlights the need for continued research on the utility of restrictive housing.

Inmate Responses to Experiences With Court System Procedural and Distributive Justice

According to criminal justice theories, perceptions of procedural and distributive justice drive opinions on fairness, subsequently affecting behavior. We contend that such perceptions also affect the emotional states of incarcerated individuals, identifying court experiences as the focus of our study. Through fieldwork at a male maximum-security prison, we find that inmates expressed negative emotional responses associated with three factors: trial, public defenders, and appeals. Participants described perceived fairness through personal comparisons to alternative procedures and outcomes often connected to socioeconomic resources and related perceptions to emotions such as frustration, regret, resentment, and hopelessness. We situate our findings within theories of fairness and inmate adjustment research.

Fanning the Flames: Understanding Gang Involvement Among Philippine Prisoners

Utilizing intensive interview and observational data from inmates in one of the most overcrowded and underresourced jail in Metro Manila, Philippines, this study presents the first in-depth analysis of the factors associated with pangkat (prison gangs) and querna (nongang affiliation) membership. The results suggest that inmates join pangkats to ensure their safety and survival. In contrast, those who remain unaffiliated do so given their negative perceptions of the pangkat, sufficient access to social support, and desire to maintain their preprison identity. Furthermore, these major themes are situated within a modified general strain framework, which integrates traditional models of inmate adjustment, namely, deprivation, importation, and coping perspectives. In light of these findings, several implications for future research and policy are advanced, including the continued application of traditional criminological theories for understanding incarcerated populations and the formal integration of pangkats to jail administration given the lack of current reform strategies for addressing structural and institutional deficiencies.