Blood on the Walls: The Influence of Place Management on Jail and Prison Victimization

Authors

Victor J. St. John, Saint Louis University

Abstract

This study examines the influence of place management on victimization within jail and prison settings. The author conducts content and thematic analysis of narratives deriving from 87 individuals who were formerly incarcerated in Newark, New Jersey, and Cleveland, Ohio. Qualitative findings illustrate that place management may set the stage for victimization by exposing persons in custody to coercive interactions, inadequately surveilled places, deplorable physical conditions, and limited access to quality health services. Such treatment fosters poor relationships among occupants within the correctional setting. I conclude that mismanaged prisons and jails influence the perpetuation of violent victimization. Correctional administrations may foster positive relationships between persons in custody and other occupants as well as minimize the occurrence of violent victimization by ensuring that persons in custody: (a) receive access to quality health services; (b) are exposed to physical and sensory conditions that do not corrode an individual’s sense of humanity; (c) live in facilities where drug distribution is properly managed; and (d) live in facilities where blind spots are limited.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

St. John, Victor J. (2023) "Blood on the Walls: The Influence of Place Management on Jail and Prison Victimization," Qualitative Criminology (QC): Vol. 12: No. 3, Article 4.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/qc/vol12/iss3/4