Prison Climate Questionnaire (PCQ)

The Prison Climate Questionnaire (PCQ) is designed to measure perceptions of prison conditions (prison climate) among incarcerated individuals. It measures multiple dimensions, including (e.g.) social contact inside and outside prison, safety, autonomy, meaningful activities, and facilities. The questionnaire was designed with the dual purpose of monitoring prison climate in the Netherlands (to identify areas of improvement), and for conducting research. The original version of the questionnaire was validated (Bosma et al., 2020). The PCQ was revised and used in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2026. Each version contains core questions on prison climate, and variable questions related to a thematic focus. The README file gives an overview of the core scales and version development.