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Examining the correlates of male and female inmate misconduct

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Abstract

Researchers have long been interested in how inmates adjust to prison life and what characteristics impact their behavior while incarcerated. The current research will attempt to fill a gap in the literature by evaluating the effectiveness of both the deprivation and importation models in explaining misconduct committed by both male and female inmates using all inmates incarcerated in West Virginia during July 2010. Additionally, the predictive factors of male and female inmate misconduct will be compared using these inmates. This research will add to the few studies that have examined both the deprivation and importation models among males and females, as well as provide possible policy implications that attempt to manage or reduce misconduct, and in turn, recidivism.

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Notes

  1. About 32 per cent of the sample committed offenses classified in more than one category. Significance tests were conducted to determine whether there were differences in the number of rule one and two violations committed by offenders who were classified in more than one type of offense type than were committed by offenders who were only classified into one offense type. The results of this analysis found that those who committed multiple types of offenses (Rule 1=1.3, Rule 2=4.5) had significantly more type one rule violations and type two rule violations than those who only committed one type of offense (Rule 1=0.99, Rule 2=3.4).

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Correspondence to Catherine D Marcum.

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Marcum, C., Hilinski-Rosick, C. & Freiburger, T. Examining the correlates of male and female inmate misconduct. Secur J 27, 284–303 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2012.30

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