Situational Risk Factors for Inmate-on-Staff Assaults

Abstract

This study examines whether situational characteristics of incidents involving inmates and correctional staff are related to the occurrence of inmate-on-staff assaults. The analyses compare assaultive and non-assaultive incidents at an all-male, maximum security prison. The results of logistic regression models show that several situational characteristics (time, location, behavior of inmates, and actions taken by staff) differentiate between inmate-on-staff assaults and non-assaultive incidents. The results suggest that inmate-on-staff assaults can be reduced through the use of situational crime prevention, as well as training on signs indicating an assault is likely, the effective use of protective strategies, and de-escalation techniques.