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Prison victimization among Taiwanese male inmates: an application of importation, deprivation, and routine activities theories

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Abstract

This study examined why some Taiwanese male inmates are more likely to experience physical, psychological, or deprivation victimization than others. It draws on a framework derived from importation, deprivation, and routine activities theories, which were developed in the American prison context. The sample comprised 2065 inmates of nine male prisons located in different geographical areas of Taiwan. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from these inmates between June and September 2015. The results show a clear pattern of four predictor variables, namely drug-related convictions, mental illness before imprisonment, acts of prison misconduct, and fear in prison, that consistently contribute to the three forms of prison victimization. Based on these four significant predictors, policy implications for correctional administrators and suggestions for future studies are provided.

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Funding

This work was supported by the University of Macau under Grant MYRG2014-00049-FSS.

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  1. Department of Sociology, University of Macau, E21 3020, Taipa, Macau, China

    Shih-Ya Kuo

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  1. Shih-Ya Kuo
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Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 3, 4, and 5.

Table 3 Physical victimization scale (Cronbach’s alpha = .661)
Full size table
Table 4 Psychological victimization scale (Cronbach’s alpha = .871)
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Table 5 Deprivational victimization scale (Cronbach’s alpha = .871)
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Kuo, SY. Prison victimization among Taiwanese male inmates: an application of importation, deprivation, and routine activities theories. Secur J 33, 602–621 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-019-00202-9

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