Prison misconduct: theoretical models, empirical evidence and implications for prison management

Abstract

Prison misconduct is a priority for the management of prisons due to its relevance to the order and security within prisons, the well-being of prisoners, and the achievement of the main goals of incarceration (e.g., prisoners’ rehabilitation and social reintegration). This article presents a theoretical reflection of the main models for understanding prison misconduct — the deprivation model and the importation model — to then show how the general strain theory, which integrates those models, has been widely used as a conceptual framework for the empirical evidence of current research in prison misconduct. Finally, we reflect on the implications of this knowledge for the implementation of prison misconduct management policies.