Conflicts and Violence in Prison, 1998-2000

By their nature, prisons engender potentially violent conflicts; this research project explored the circumstances which led to violence in prisons; the consequences of violent confrontations for prisoners and staff; and the ways in which conflicts with the potential to lead to violence were resolved without recourse to physical force. This project sought to understand why a particular situation became violent and to what extent the violence was considered to have settled the matter. The study took place in four different types of establishment: a high security prison, a local prison, a women's prison, and a young offender institution. The main aims and objectives were:<br> 1. To analyse inter-personal violence in penal institutions; to explore the circumstances in which conflicts escalate into physical injury or threats to safety.<br> 2. To identify methods of communication, conciliation, or mediation used by staff and inmates to reduce the likelihood of a violent outcome; to outline the interests of perpetrators and victims, how they interpret their actions and the norms that guide their decision-making.<br> 3. To assess the response of the institution and to assess whether the official response played a role in resolving such conflicts.<br> 4. To clarify the conditions under which the use of force by inmates or staff is considered acceptable; to examine the circumstances in which staff decide that 'control and restraint' techniques are required.<br> 5. To compare the forms of violence in different types of population, distinguished by the age, gender and race of prisoners and staff.