Documented Reasons for Start of a Hunger Strike
| Reason for Starting Strike | Disciplinary Housing | Nondisciplinary Housing | All Housing | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Unknown | 63 | 29 | 25 | 33 | 88 | 30 |
| Protest discipline | 47 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 52 | 18 |
| Housing change | 41 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 19 |
| Conflict with custody | 33 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 43 | 15 |
| Suspected psychiatric symptoms | 17 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 8 |
| Legal | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 6 |
| Property | 10 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 5 |
| Dietary | 9 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 6 |
| Medical issue | 7 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 5 |
| Conflict with inmates | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Conditions of confinement | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Lack of family contact | 1 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | <1 |
| Political | 1 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | <1 |
| Parole | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Commissary | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 |
Numbers and percentages total more than 292 hunger strikes and 100%, respectively, as more than one reason may have been identified.