Incident-Level Characteristics of Prison Violence and Violence-Related Injury: A Multi-State Analysis of Incident Report Data

Despite advances in understanding prison violence through individual-level and institutional predictors, less is known about situational characteristics of violent incidents, particularly those that result in serious injury. This study draws on 2,178 violent incident reports across five U.S. states representing diverse regions to examine variations in situational characteristics across violence types and their association with injuries among staff and incarcerated people. Results showed significant differences in situational characteristics across violent incident types, and revealed distinct predictors of injury, including weapon use, location, and security level, with implications for improving institutional safety and security.