Race Group Differences in Prison Victimization Experiences

• NCJ Number: 239691
• Author(s): Benjamin Steiner, John Wooldredge
• Date Published: October 2012
• Length: 12 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Maintaining Prison Order: An Evaluation of the Effects of the Detection and Processing of Inmate Misconduct Within and Across Ohio Correctional Institutions

Annotation

This study investigated the level of prison victimization among different racial groups, specifically African-Americans and White, non-Latino inmates.

Abstract

This study found that White, non-Latino inmates were at a greater risk for prison victimization than were African-American inmates. Specifically, victimization rates involving physical assaults were 8 percent for Whites compared to 6 percent for Black inmates, while victimization rates involving property thefts were 29 percent for White inmates compared to 21 percent for Black inmates. This study investigated the level of prison victimization among different racial groups, specifically White, non-Latino inmates and African-American inmates. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 2,403 African-American inmates and 3,150 White inmates drawn from all State prisons in Ohio and Kentucky and all private prisons in Ohio. The data was analyzed in order to estimate race-specific models of the prevalence of victimization by assault and property theft. The findings indicate that the odds of victimization in prison are much for White, non-Latino inmates compared to African-American inmates. The study also found that several factors played a role in the level of victimization for the two groups, namely, age, sex, education, family status, officer legitimacy, custody score, and visitation. Implications for policy are discussed. Tables, notes, and references