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Understanding prison violence

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date01 March 2019
DOI10.1177/0264550518825053a
Date01 March 2019
Subject MatterResearch & reports
PRB825053 138..142 140
Probation Journal 66(1)
‘Domestic Abuse: The Work Undertaken by Community Rehabilitation Companies
(CRCs)’, a thematic inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation, September 2018, is
available at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/inspections/
domestic-abuse-the-work-undertaken-by-community-rehabilitation-companies/
Caroline Bald
Anglia Ruskin University
Understanding prison violence
This Ministry of Justice Analytical Summary involved a rapid evidence assessment
(REA) to look at the research into the causes of physically violent assaults by male
adult prisoners (age 18 and over). The REA considered the research findings of 97
studies published since 2000. The majority of the studies (almost 90%) were con-
ducted in the United States, and six of the 87 studies were carried out in England
and Wales. Research on sexual assaults was excluded because of different
explanatory factors that needed to be considered.
Key findings from the REA include:
Age was the single most significant indicator, with over a quarter of the
studies identifying younger age as a factor; thus those aged 21 and under
had higher rates of violence compared to males aged 22 to 35 or older.
Other pre-existing characteristics prior to attending prison were an indicator
of violent indiscipline in prisons, and they included a previous record of
prison indiscipline, gang membership, previous violent conviction, drug use
and a history of drug offences.
Prison conditions that influenced the likelihood of assault included feeling
unsafe or threatened, having been mistreated by staff, perceiving their treat-
ment as unjust, under-enforced, or being subject to additional restrictions.
Having structured routines and participating in programmes contributed to
lowering the likelihood of violence. Similarly, incidents tended to take place
in areas where staff had less oversight, such as cells and washrooms, and
locations such as workshops and classrooms were less prone to incidents of
violence.
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