How Dark are Dark Figures? Official and Self-Report Rates of Inmate-On-Inmate Victimization

Inmate-on-inmate victimization rates were examined through official and self-report data. We checked prison records of 219 male inmates from a prison in Portugal, and estimated rates of official inmate-on-inmate victimization during a 12-month period. Of these 219 inmates, 108 agreed to participate in a self-report survey on their inmate-on-inmate victimization experiences in the last 12 months. According to official records 3.2% of the inmates were victimized, contrasting with the 78.5% prevalence rate revealed in self-report data. This high dark-figure highlights the need to implement specific strategies to prevent inmate-on-inmate victimization hence assuring the prison conditions necessary to corrections efficacy.