Prior victimization and self‐reported misconduct in prison: Examining the moderating role of correctional staff procedural justice

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines whether correctional staff procedural justice moderates the relationship between prior victimization and institutional misconduct. Specifically, we investigate whether perceptions of fair and respectful treatment by prison staff can mitigate the increased risk of misconduct among those with prior victimization experiences.

Methods

Consisting of 1514 respondents, this study used the first wave of data from the Prison Project, a national investigation of the consequences of detention in the Netherlands. The study sample consisted of incarcerated men, age 18–65 and born in the Netherlands. To test our hypotheses, we conducted regression analyses and examined the interaction between perceptions of procedural justice and prior victimization experiences on in-prison misconduct.

Results

The results suggest that when people in prison perceive staff interactions as procedurally just, the risk of misconduct among previously victimized individuals is significantly diminished.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the practical importance of implementing procedural justice practices in correctional settings, particularly for vulnerable populations with histories of victimization.