Violence and misconduct in correctional institutions are of great concern to inmates and prison staff. Inmate classification and programming, facility architecture, and staff procedures are all oriented toward minimizing the occurrence of these behaviors. Interest in institutional violence and misconduct, however, is not limited to those who live and work in this setting. Criminal justice researchers study these behaviors to inform the basic science and contribute to more effective prison administration and enlightened public policy. Legislatures and the courts may draw upon these research findings in protecting inmates from cruel and unusual punishment. For example, in 2003, Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Forensic mental health experts and juries are consumers of research regarding prison violence and misconduct as well. To illustrate, a ...

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