This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Google Scholar Articles by Sundt, J. L. Articles by Briggs, C. S. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Sociopolitical Context of Prison Violence and Its Control

A Case Study of Supermax and Its Effect in Illinois

Indiana University, Bloomington

Thomas C. Castellano

Rochester Institute of Technology

Chad S. Briggs

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

This research explores the sociopolitical context of prison violence and its control in the state of Illinois, and discusses the series of events that led to the opening of a supermax prison. Interrupted time series analyses were used to test whether the use of the supermax was associated with declines in prison violence, controlling for the potentially confounding influence of a systemwide effort to restructure the Illinois Department of Corrections following a prison scandal in 1996. There was no association between the opening of a supermax and inmate-on-inmate assaults; however, the supermax appears to have resulted in an abrupt, permanent reduction in assaults against staff. The opening of the supermax was also associated with an abrupt, permanent reduction in the use of lockdown days.

Key Words: supermax • prison violence • prison order • administrative control • interrupted time series • correctional policy

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?