Resolution of Prison Riots

This Research in Brief discusses how eight State and Federal prisons have dealt with riots and what strategies and procedures are effective during the stages of a prison riot. Safety of prison employees, inmates, and residents of the area in which the facility is located, plus the financial cost of prison riots makes their prevention and containment a critical issue. Factors that must be addressed include such criminal justice issues as how prisons are administered (and how command is divided during riots), race relations in prisons, how prisons are built and renovated, how prisons are staffed, and how staff are utilized and augmented during riots. On the basis of an indepth examination of eight disturbances, the study concludes that proactive planning and preparation along with reactive problem solving is the most effective approach to prison riot resolution.