Social support and inmate rule violations: A multilevel analysis

Abstract

Social support theory is important in explaining inmate behavior within prison but has been largely ignored in the research. Using multilevel analy- sis, the study examined the effect of social support on inmate misconduct mea- sured by disciplinary infractions in the 1997 Survey of Inmates of State Correctional Facilities in the United States. Findings indicate that several social support variables at both the inmate level and prison level affect inmate rule viola- tions per month.