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The implications of sentence length for inmate adjustment to prison life

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  • Toman, Elisa L.
  • Cochran, Joshua C.
  • Cochran, John K.
  • Bales, William D.

Abstract

Prison scholarship suggests that the structural and cultural environment of prison and dimensions individuals “import” with them into prison have salient implications for inmate adjustment to incarceration. Theoretical and empirical analyses of inmate adjustment to prison life, however, have paid limited attention to sentencing characteristics like prison sentence length. This paper presents theoretical arguments that suggest sentence length likely influences inmate adjustment, and proposes that mixed effects in prior studies may be attributed to analyses that do not account for nonlinearities and conditional effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Toman, Elisa L. & Cochran, Joshua C. & Cochran, John K. & Bales, William D., 2015. "The implications of sentence length for inmate adjustment to prison life," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 510-521.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:43:y:2015:i:6:p:510-521
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2015.11.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Morris, Robert G. & Carriaga, Michael L. & Diamond, Brie & Piquero, Nicole Leeper & Piquero, Alex R., 2012. "Does prison strain lead to prison misbehavior? An application of general strain theory to inmate misconduct," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 194-201.
    2. Hochstetler, Andy & DeLisi, Matt, 2005. "Importation, deprivation, and varieties of serving time: An integrated-lifestyle-exposure model of prison offending," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 257-266.
    3. MacDonald, John M., 1999. "Violence and drug use in juvenile institutions," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 33-44, January.
    4. Flanagan, Timothy J., 1980. "Time served and institutional misconduct: Patterns of involvement in disciplinary infractions among long-term and short-term inmates," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 8(6), pages 357-367.
    5. Cao, Liqun & Zhao, Jihong & Van Dine, Steve, 1997. "Prison disciplinary tickets: A test of the deprivation and importation models," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 103-113.
    6. Wooldredge, John D., 1994. "Inmate crime and victimization in a southwestern correctional facility," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 367-381.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rydberg, Jason & Clark, Kyleigh, 2016. "Variation in the incarceration length-recidivism dose–response relationship," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 118-128.
    2. Tsai, Pei-Hsuan & Wang, Ying-Wei & Yeh, Hsin-Jang, 2021. "An evaluation model for the development of more humane correctional institutions: Evidence from Penghu Prison," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Dominique Moran & Jacob A. Jordaan & Phil I. Jones, 2024. "Toxic Prisons? Local Environmental Quality and the Wellbeing of Incarcerated Populations," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.

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