Violence and Safety in American Corrections: What the Research Shows

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Violence and Safety in American Corrections
What the Research Shows

• A Briefing for

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How do we measure safety in Corrections?

• Follow principles of good social science research
  (large, random samples).
• Gather data on a wide variety of performance
  measures.
• Standardize the occurrence of violence by
  population, to understand its relative
  frequency/prevalence.
• Take into account the national trends that affect
  prison populations and facility operation.

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Macro Trends in American Corrections

• Dramatic Population Increases fueled by
  sentencing reforms and political environment.
• De-institutionalization of the mentally ill
  resulting in Corrections becoming the primary
  custodians.
• The increasing power of Corrections Unions.
• National efforts to collect and share performance
  datathus boosting research capabilities.
• A National discussion on inmate reentry and its
  implications for public safety.

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What the Current Research Shows Americas
Prisons and Jails are Safe and Getting Safer.

• Over the last twenty-five years, the incarcerated
  population has increased 330.
• Over the same time period, a host of key
  indicators of safety and order have improved
  dramatically.
• The use of restrictive measures (like
  administrative segregation) has also decreased.
• Thus, as several researchers have shown, these
  gains are likely the result of correctional
  leadership and innovative management.

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Population Growth

• The number of individuals incarcerated in the
  United States has increased 330 from 1980 to
  2004.

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Homicide and Suicide

• Homicide and Suicide in Prisons and Jails occur
  very infrequently and have declined dramatically,
  even while the incarcerated population has
  exploded.

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Prison Riots

• Riots The number and rate of prison riots has
  declined dramatically from a peak in 1973 to a
  rare event in recent years, despite the increase
  in prison population.

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Staff Homicides have declined 100 from 1982 to
2001.
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Prison Escapes have declined 95 from 1981 to
2001.
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Inmate-on-Inmate assaults have decreased 29 from
1984 to 2000
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Assault and Sexual Assault (Contd)

• Assaults In his testimony before the Prison
  Commission, BJS statistician Allen Beck stated
  that the likelihood of an individual inmates
  experiencing assault is 7.
• Sexual Assault The recent BJS study on sexual
  assault found 3.15 allegations of sexual violence
  per 1,000 inmates held in 2004. In State
  prisons, fewer than 20 of allegations of
  non-consensual sexual acts were substantiated.

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Comparing Correctional Facilities and the
Community-At-Large
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The rate of inmates held in protective custody
has declined 69 from 1986 to 2001.
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The use of administrative segregation has not
increased with population growth.
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The percentage of inmates held in maximum
security facilities has decreased 30 from
1980-2004 (excludes federal prisons).
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What has happened in American Corrections in the
past 25 years?

• The incarcerated population has increased
  dramatically.
• Homicides, suicides, riots, staff homicides and
  prison escapes have all decreased dramatically.
• Available data indicates a decline in assaults
  assault and sexual assault are not considerably
  higher in jail and prison than the community at
  large.
• These gains have been achieved alongside a
  decrease in the use of restrictive measures like
  protective custody and administrative
  segregation.

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What does this tell us?

• In conclusion, Americas prisons and jails are
  safe and getting safer.
• Many factors contribute to safety and
  effectiveness, including resources, staff
  training, programming for inmates, transparency
  and accountability.
• To achieve safety gains in this context, high
  quality correctional leadership and effective
  management are absolutely essential.