Prison violence in Latin America

Using a survey applied to incarcerated populations in Latin American countries, this study aims to examine the factors that determine the existence of violence in prisons and explain why some penitentiaries are more violent than others by studying variables such as inmate age, sentence length, and c...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fondevila, Gustavo|||0000-0003-4818-0584, Vilalta, Carlos|||0000-0002-6030-7018
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:294309
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/294309
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1007/s43576-024-00125-5
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Violence in prison
Latin America
Prison conditions
Prison gangs
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Descripción
Sumario:Using a survey applied to incarcerated populations in Latin American countries, this study aims to examine the factors that determine the existence of violence in prisons and explain why some penitentiaries are more violent than others by studying variables such as inmate age, sentence length, and crime type. A quantitative examination is used to determine the effect of these variables on prison violence (property theft and beatings), and whether it is a result of the living conditions within the prisons. The results indicate that the most overpopulated prisons, with the worst living conditions, have the lowest levels of violence (in Brazil and El Salvador). The lower rates of violence observed in certain Latin American prisons appear to be explained by the existence of criminal governments within penitentiary systems, organized and run by a dominant prison gang.