Individual characteristics related to prison violence: A critical review of the literature

At the end of 2010, prisons in the United States incarcerated over 1,605,127 inmates, yielding an imprisonment rate of 497 per 100,000 residents (Guerino, Harrison, & Sabol, 2011). Approximately 15.6% of correctional officers have been the victim of an inmate assault (Duhart, 2001) and 21% of inmates reported being victims of violence in prison (Wolff, Blitz, Shi, Siegel, & Bachman, 2007). However, which inmates are more likely to perpetuate these violent acts while incarcerated? The present paper critically reviews the empirical literature on the relation between individual characteristics of inmates and prison violence. Variables are divided into three general categories: demographic, criminal history, and psychological variables. From over 500 studies, a representative sample of 20 studies from 1990 to 2011 was reviewed based on specified inclusion criteria, such as adult males incarcerated in English-speaking countries. Although there are some discrepant findings, a general conclusion can be reached regarding most variables. These characteristics are compiled into a prototype of an inmate at “high” risk and an inmate at “low” risk for prison violence. Methodological limitations of the research are presented, as well as suggestions for future research directions.