A Comparative Study of Male and Female Prison Misconduct Careers

Abstract

By examining patterns of misconduct as a career path that lasts throughout one's imprisonment, this article provides information on whether the career develops and, if so, on the timing of stages in the career. The research finds that patterns and types of misconduct were similar for men and women, although levels were lower for women. Results of event history analyses indicated that younger prisoners tended to begin their misconduct careers sooner, regardless of other factors, and that as time passes after the commission of the first infraction, the risk of having a second infraction increases faster than the risk of having only the first.