INMATE LIFE-STYLES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR VICTIMIZATION

Inmate-on-inmate crime poses a serious threat to the goals of institut ional corrections. Research to date on inmate victimization suggests t hat demographic and background characteristics (such as age and the se riousness of the offense incarcerated for) am important predictors of victimization risk during incarceration. Yet, the relative importance of demographics versus institutional lifestyles for predicting inmate victimization has never been examined This article presents the result s of a study designed to test the applicability of lifestyle theory to an understanding of victimization in correctional institution domains Results support lifestyle theory as a viable explanation of victimiza tions involving physical assaults by other inmates as well as those in volving theft of personal properties. The implications of these result s are discussed.