Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 2019; 2(1): 34-42 http://www.aascit.org/journal/jssh The Impact of Co-Occurring Disorders on Serious Misconduct Among Female State Prisoners Kimberly Ann Houser 1 , Wayne Welsh 2 , Christine Ann Saum 1 1 Department of Law and Justice Studies, Rowan University, Glassboro, United States 2 Department of Criminal Justice, Temple University, Philadelphia, United States Email address Citation Kimberly Ann Houser, Wayne Welsh, Christine Ann. Saum. The Impact of Co-Occurring Disorders on Serious Misconduct Among Female State Prisoners. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. Vol. 2, No. 1, 2019, pp. 34-42. Received: May 20, 2019; Accepted: July 10, 2019; Published: July 16, 2019 Abstract: The current study examined the additive and interactive effects of co-occurring disorders (CODs) on predicting severity of misconduct compared with singular disorders of mental illness and substance use disorders among a sample of female state inmates. Prior research has generally not distinguished the singular disorder of mental illness from co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders (CODs) in institutional misconduct research weakening the conclusions that can be drawn regarding mental illness and CODs. Moreover, misconduct literature is often limited to male or pooled male and female samples despite the higher prevalence rates of mental illness and CODs among the female offender population. Findings from the current study indicate that compared with women who have singular disorders of substance abuse or mental health, women diagnosed with CODs are more likely to be involved in both minor and serious misconduct. If women with CODs engage in more overall misconduct, they are more likely to receive sanctions that not only could increase their incarceration time, but could prove deleterious to their conditions and create even greater behavioral challenges. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the risks and needs of women with CODs in relation to assessment, programming and appropriate correctional responses to violations of inmate codes of conduct. Keywords: Misconduct, Co-occurring Disorders, Prisoners, Mental Illness, Women 1. Introduction More than 700,000 mentally ill persons are incarcerated in United States (U.S.) prisons and nearly a half million more are in local jails [1]. Although estimates vary, the percentage of mentally ill (MI) persons incarcerated in the U.S. is thought to have tripled in the past three decades [2]. Accordingly, Torrey [3] refers to prisons and jails as America’s new mental hospitals. Prisons and jails are ill equipped to properly address the demands of the growing MI population [4]. The primary mission of correctional institutions is to “keep them in, keep them safe, keep them in line, keep them healthy, and keep them busy – and do it with fairness, without undue suffering, and as efficiently as possible” (p. 25) [5]. However, the needs of the mentally ill are vast and immediate, often challenging the institution’s ability to manage and treat this population while maintaining security and order [6]. Indeed, jail administrators report inmates with severe mental illness are more disruptive than gang members [7]. Violent and disruptive behaviors pose safety and security risks for the institution [8], as well as punitive consequences for the inmate (e.g. restricted housing, loss of privileges, denial of early release) [9]. Comorbid mental health and substance use disorders (CODs) are particularly salient among the offender population with 54% of female and 41% of male state prisoners meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 th Ed. (DSM-V) [10] criteria for a COD [1]. In addition, CODs are often underestimated in the criminal justice system (CJS) due to the overlapping nature of the symptomatology [11] and limited dual diagnosis screening tools in correctional settings [12, 13]. However, the importance of distinguishing singular disorders from CODs in institutional adjustment research is often overlooked. Research has concluded that the interaction of two or more disorders exacerbates the symptomatic character of the individual disorders, reduces treatment engagement and completion, and is associated with criminal recidivism (see [14] for a more thorough discussion). For example, in their