Views From the Inside: Insights About Restrictive Housing From Prison System Officials, Officers, and Staff

• Date: 01 December 2021
• Published date: 01 December 2021
• Author: Daniel P. Mears,George B. Pesta,Vivian Aranda-Hughes
• DOI: 10.1177/00328855211060308
• Subject Matter: Articles

Views From the Inside:

Insights About

Restrictive Housing

From Prison System

Off‌icials, Off‌icers,

and Staff

Daniel P. Mears

1

,

George B. Pesta

1

,

and Vivian Aranda-Hughes

1

Abstract

Restrictive housing substantially limits inmate movement and privileges.

Proponents argue it creates safer prison systems, while opponents claim it

does not and harms inmates. However, few studies have systematically

examined restrictive housing through the perspective of those who work

in prison systems or scrutinized the diverse dimensions relevant to its

appraisal. This study addresses this gap by drawing on qualitative data to

examine how such individuals view the housing, its operational challenges,

effectiveness, possible improvements, and potential alternatives. We present

f‌indings along each of these dimensions and then discuss their implications

for research and policy.

Keywords

restrictive housing, prison off‌icials, corrections off‌icers

1

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Daniel P. Mears, Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice,

112 South Copeland St., Tallahassee, FL 32306-1273, USA.

Email: dmears@fsu.edu

Article

The Prison Journal

2021, Vol. 101(6) 631–651

© 2021 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/00328855211060308

journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj

Introduction

One of the most conspicuous indicators of the move toward ‘get tough’cor-

rectional policies in recent decades is the increased reliance on restrictive

housing (Frost & Monteiro, 2016; Sakoda & Simes, 2019; Shalev, 2009;

Shames et al., 2015; Sundt, 2017). This housing can entail solitary conf‌ine-

ment of inmates for all but a few hours each day for weeks to months or

years, with limited programming or privileges, and use typically for disciplin-

ing or managing violent or disruptive inmates (Beck, 2015; Garcia, 2016). To

date, the primary focus of research has been on the effects that such housing

may have on inmate mental health, behavior, and reentry outcomes (Butler

et al., 2018; Clark & Duwe, 2019; Kapoor & Trestman, 2016; see, generally,

Garcia, 2016; Gendreau & Goggin, 2019; Labrecque & Smith, 2019a; Woo

et al., 2020). Far less attention has been given to a broader range of dimen-

sions also relevant to evaluating restrictive housing. Few studies, for

example, have examined variation in the nature of this housing, operational

challenges of working in this environment, effectiveness or ineffectiveness

with respect to multiple outcomes, such as systemwide order or impacts on

staff, potential improvements, or alternatives to it. In addition, research to

date has not drawn systematically on the insights and experiences of those

who work in prison restrictive housing units.

The goal of this study is to respond to calls to address such gaps (e.g.,

Butler & Steiner, 2016; Foster, 2016; Mears, 2016; O’Keefe, 2008; Sakoda

& Simes, 2019; Shalev, 2009; Sundt, 2016) by illuminating how those who

oversee or work in prison systems view several critical dimensions of restric-

tive housing. We focus in particular on the insights of line off‌icers, medical

staff, administrators, and wardens into the nature and goals of restrictive

housing, challenges in its operations, perceived effectiveness of the housing

and ways to improve it, and alternatives to this housing or ways to reduce reli-

ance on it. In what follows, we f‌irst situate the study within the larger body of

prior research and debates about restrictive housing, and then present f‌indings

from a qualitative study of restrictive housing. We conclude by summarizing

the f‌indings and their implications for research and policy.

Background

The Rise of Restrictive Housing

The increase inthe use of restrictive housing occurred alongside atrend toward

tougher, control-oriented approachesto punishment that came into prominence

in the 1980s and continued into the next two decades (Pratt, 2018; Spohn &

Brennan, 2020; Travis et al., 2014). The “get tough”era centered on punitive

632 The Prison Journal 101(6)