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The Effect of Solitary Confinement on Institutional Misconduct: A Longitudinal Evaluation

Labrecque, Ryan M

Abstract Details

2015, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice.
Solitary confinement (SC) has been an important component of the American prison system since the emergence of the penitentiaries in the early 1800s. The main criticism of SC has long been that it causes inhabitants undue psychological distress and by extension increases propensity toward criminal behavior. The use of SC raises constitutional and humanitarian concerns, with critics who charge the practice constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, is inhumane, and violates the minimum standards of decency. However, SC is also a management tool in which correctional officials have come to rely upon for the effective management of prisons, and many would not waiver in the contention that SC is needed to ensure the safety and security of these institutions. Thus, there remains an active debate in the literature and in practice with respect to how SC influences criminal behavior in which three claims have been made: (1) SC decreases criminal behavior; (2) SC increases criminal behavior; and (3) SC has little, if any, effect on criminal behavior. Surprisingly, despite its long-standing and widespread use, SC has remained an elusive subject in empirical research, especially in terms of its effects on behavioral outcomes. This dissertation adds to this gap in knowledge by providing a longitudinal evaluation of the effect of SC on institutional misconduct in a sample of 14,311 inmates in the state of Ohio. The results of this study indicate SC does not have any significant effect on the prevalence or incidence of subsequent violent, nonviolent, or drug misconduct. Policy implications and recommendations based on these findings are discussed.
Paula Smith, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Paul Gendreau, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Francis Cullen, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Edward Latessa, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
John Wooldredge, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
196 p.

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Citations

  • Labrecque, R. M. (2015). The Effect of Solitary Confinement on Institutional Misconduct: A Longitudinal Evaluation [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439308329

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Labrecque, Ryan. The Effect of Solitary Confinement on Institutional Misconduct: A Longitudinal Evaluation. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439308329.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Labrecque, Ryan. "The Effect of Solitary Confinement on Institutional Misconduct: A Longitudinal Evaluation." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439308329

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)