DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37849
title: The Impacts of Restrictive Housing on Inmate Behavior, Mental Health, and Recidivism, and Prison Systems and Personnel, Florida, 2007-2020
title: Archival Version

description: In partnership with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), this study a) collected prison administrative data to create person-level cohort-analysis files of inmates admitted to and released from Florida prisons between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2015, b) collected stock population data of inmates incarcerated on June 30, 2011, c) examined recidivism outcomes, d) examined the effects of long-term solitary confinement on inmate behavior and mental health, and e) conducted a survey of prison personnel from November 4, 2019 to January 10, 2020, in order to conduct an analysis to address the need in public policy decision-making for evidence on the impacts of restricted housing on inmates, prisons and personnel, and public safety overall.
description: This study was designed to address the need for comprehensive, consistent evidence on the impacts of restrictive housing on inmates, on prisons, and their personnel. This is done to provide policymakers with the information needed to make informed decisions and prevent prison systems from investing in inmate management approaches that have adverse outcomes on inmates, facility personnel, and overall public safety.
description: Prison administrative records data were collected to provide information that would allow for estimation of the use of restrictive housing and its impacts on inmates and in turn, prison system safety, as well as recidivism of inmates. The survey data were collected to provide information that also would allow for estimating potential impacts on inmates as well as impacts on the prison system and personnel. Analyses varied by data source. Three separate approaches were taken for the administrative records data. First, descriptive statistical analyses of the first and second administrative records data files were conducted to provide a profile of inmates in extended solitary restrictive housing. This profile provided a basis of comparison to the profile of inmates in the general population and to individuals in other forms of restrictive housing. Second, propensity score matching analyses were conducted to estimate the potential effects of long-term solitary restrictive housing on recidivism. Third, inmate-week data was used to estimate treatment-only fixed effects models, which analyze within-person changes, to examine how stays in long-term solitary restrictive housing are associated with inmate adjustment and behavior prior to, during, and after placement in the housing. Analysis of the survey data were conducted using descriptive and regression analyses.
description: The descriptive release data set consists of administrative records data from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) used to create a person-level admission-and-release cohort analysis file; the data are about inmates admitted to and released from Florida prisons from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2015 and were used to provide descriptive information about inmates. The descriptive stock data set consists of inmates incarcerated in the FDC on June 30, 2011 and was also used to provide descriptive information about inmates. The matching data set is a matching analysis data file, used for examining recidivism outcomes. The inmate-week data set was used to examine the effects of long-term solitary confinement on inmate behavior and mental health. The survey data were collected to provide information that also would allow for estimating potential impacts on inmates as well as impacts on the prison system and personnel.
description: Not applicable
description: Response Rates: The overall response rate from all eligible respondents was 58.8 percent. The completion rate was 53.3 percent among all eligible respondents and 90.6 percent among all individuals who accessed the survey.
description: The descriptive release, descriptive stock, matching, and inmate-week data were constructed using administrative data provided by the Florida Department of Corrections. The survey data set was constructed from a survey of prison personnel, conducted from November 4, 2019 through January 10, 2020. It included wardens and front-line, medical, and mental health staff at each of the state's major public correctional institutions. The sample N for the survey was 10,211.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Inmate Admission-and-Release Data DS2: Housing Population Descriptive Data DS3: Recidivism Analysis Data DS4: Treatment Analysis Data DS5: Corrections Personnel Survey Data
description: Inmates and corrections officers at large public correctional facilities. Smallest Geographic Unit: State
description: computer-assisted self interview (CASI)