It’s a Dangerous Job! A Systematic Review of the Predictors of Correctional Officer Victimization by Incarcerated Individuals in U.S. Prisons and Jails

Abstract

Supervising people behind bars is inherently dangerous work, yet there is limited understanding of the risk and protective factors for correctional officer victimization. This study provides a systematic review of the predictors of violence perpetrated against U.S. prison and jail staff by incarcerated people. We identified 21 studies by searching six major academic databases (Criminal Justice Abstracts, Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science). Most studies investigated staff assaults in state prisons with male populations, while fewer studies focused on staff in jails, female prisons, federal institutions, or juvenile detention facilities. All studies’ outcomes included physical altercations, though four studies also included separate measures of verbal assaults. Two studies collected data through correctional officer surveys, with the others relying on surveys of incarcerated individuals or administrative data. Though studies often yielded mixed or contradictory evidence, our review identified some correctional officer characteristics that increased the risk of victimization (e.g., being young, male, White, and working certain assignments). Likewise, incarcerated individuals who were young, male, non-White, gang-affiliated, and had behavioral health issues were generally more likely to engage in assaultive behavior. Facility factors like security level and programming were also associated with staff assaults. This review is the first attempt to summarize all empirical evidence on the predictors of correctional officer victimization and serves as a useful tool for researchers and practitioners alike to identify gaps in current carceral research and practices and develop interventions aimed at decreasing institutional violence.