Violence and VIctimisation in Slovenian Prisons
Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to identify correlations between specific deprivation and importation factors within the prison environment and prisoners’ victimisation and deviant behaviour during imprisonment.
Design/Methods/Approach:
A quantitative study was conducted on a national sample of prisoners in Slovenia. The study was conducted in all Slovenian prisons and a correctional home. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used.
Findings:
The statistical analyses showed that the type of accommodation, recidivism, and participation in treatment programmes were associated with the likelihood of victimisation and rule violations and deviant behaviour among prisoners during imprisonment. The results also indicated that prisoners who had been victimised during imprisonment by fellow prisoners or prison staff were more likely to engage in deviant behaviour, including violence.
Research Limitations / Implications:
The study’s limitations concern the sample characteristics, the potential for socially desirable responses among participants, and the limited ability to infer causal relationships among factors associated with prisoners’ victimisation and deviant behaviour.
Practical Implications:
Originality/Value:
This paper presents the first quantitative empirical study of deviant behaviour and victimisation in the prison environment in Slovenia based on a national sample of prisoners.
UDC: 343.8:343.9(497.4)
Keywords: prison, violence, victimisation, recidivism, Slovenia