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Sensitivity for thee, but not for me: The role of social status as a conduit for white-collar prison adjustment

Author

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  • Logan, Matthew W.
  • Morgan, Mark A.
  • Long, Joshua S.
  • Chio, Hei Lam

Abstract

The special sensitivity hypothesis asserts that the atypical background and personal characteristics of white-collar offenders may make them particularly susceptible to the “pains of imprisonment” while incarcerated. Using a national data set of U.S. prisoners, we evaluated symptoms of negative affect, misconduct, and various institutional outcomes among two distinct groups of white-collar offenders: those defined by their crime of exploiting specialized access for profit and those further defined by their status (i.e., employment, finances, and education). Findings indicated that the status-based offenders reported feeling significantly less worthless and that they were significantly more likely to have held a work assignment. However, the offense-based group was significantly less likely to have participated in educational programming and exhibited significantly worse negative affect—specifically nervousness, restlessness, and depression—suggesting they had greater difficulty adapting to prison life compared to others. We conclude by examining the implications for criminological theory and criminal justice policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Logan, Matthew W. & Morgan, Mark A. & Long, Joshua S. & Chio, Hei Lam, 2024. "Sensitivity for thee, but not for me: The role of social status as a conduit for white-collar prison adjustment," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:93:y:2024:i:c:s0047235224000709
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102221
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Long, Joshua & Logan, Matthew W. & Morgan, Mark A., 2021. "Are white-collar prisoners special? Prison adaptation and the special sensitivity hypothesis," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Benson, Michael L. & Cullen, Francis T., 1988. "The special sensitivity of white-collar offenders to prison: A critique and research agenda," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 207-215.
    3. Alberto Abadie & Susan Athey & Guido W Imbens & Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2023. "When Should You Adjust Standard Errors for Clustering?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(1), pages 1-35.
    4. David C. May & Brian K. Payne, 2018. "Do white-collar offenders find prison more punitive than property offenders," Journal of Financial Crime, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(1), pages 230-243, January.
    5. Logan, Matthew W. & Morgan, Mark A. & Long, Joshua S. & Hazelwood, Andrea & Bacigalupo, James, 2022. "More similar than different? Examining prison infractions and recidivism among female and male white-collar offenders," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Holtfreter, Kristy & Van Slyke, Shanna & Bratton, Jason & Gertz, Marc, 2008. "Public perceptions of white-collar crime and punishment," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 50-60, March.
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