Citation

Baskin DR, Sommers I, Steadman HJ. J. Crim. Justice 1991; 19(3): 271-280.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(91)90006-H

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To contribute to the slowly growing body of research on psychiatrically impaired inmates, the present study examined linkages between various forms of psychopathology and several types of prison violence. Measures of psychiatric impairment were derived from the New YorkState Office of Mental Health Level of Care Survey and included manifest symptomatology, confusion, and depression. Violence against property, staff, other inmates and, finally, violence toward the self comprised the measures of prison violence. The relationships among measures of psychiatric impairment and prison violence were examined using logit analysis. Controlling for sociodemographic and other suspected correlates of violent behavior, the study found that only certain forms of psychiatric impairment increased the probability of violent behavior within the prison context. Three psychiatric impairment scales were examined: depression was related to violence toward the self, confusion increased violence toward other inmates and toward staff, and depression and confusion increased violence toward property. The research suggests that more attention needs to be paid to the mental-health risk factors associated with prison violence and to other management problems posed by the psychiatrically impaired inmate.