I can’t answer regarding prison, but I can tell you what I experienced in jail, in regards to women.
Nobody specifically looks to beat up random people without specific reason.
Some inmates will “nudge” newbies to find out if they could be a threat, a connection, a lover, etc.
During the few days I was in, there was a rumor circulated that I was in for harming a child. Some were planning bad stuff for me. Guards learned of the talk, and set it straight, that I was upset because my mom used the system to jail me just long enough to get her hands on my son, and disappear with him.
After that I was viewed with pity, for a while. Guards wanted to provide me an opportunity to escape, but I would not because that would put me on the run.
I garnered some respect from a young hooker was boasting she had high dollar regulars because she gave good head. I told her I’d never been paid, but I bet I was better. When she protested, I removed my upper denture. Her eyes got big, and she treated me to a cup of cocoa.
A lesbians made a move on me, even though I had made it known I went a different way. She got set straight in a private, but declarative way.
I huge woman who trended violent because she was only being given half the meds she was prescribed made an attempt to kill me. Several women restrained her and moved her to q rear cell until she could be medicated again, at which time she apologized.
I mentioned that I write poetry, and a line formed of women willing to pay two dollars each if I would tailor a poem for them to sent to someone. I partnered with a woman who did pastel artwork on pages to sell for stationary. She would do a page, give it to me to write a poem, and we would get two dollars each. One woman wanted me to write a poem for her husband who was also in jail. I quickly penned,
Roses are red
Violets are blue,
I’m in jail,
And so are you.
She loved the humor. I told her it was a joke, and she could use it for free, that I would write another. She chose to pay for both.
We did steady bartering like that, and it tended to set friendships, not to extend to the outside.
I got moved. The new batch of women also needed to check what I was about.
At dinner I went to an open spot and asked if the seat was taken. I just started eating and some chick nudged me and told me I was in her spot. I told her if anyone had objected before I sat down, I would have found another seat, but since nothing was said before I started to eat, I would be keeping my seat. Eyes got big, and she went somewhere else. I learned later she was considered the tough mama of the bunch. This was about fifty or sixty women.
Nothing came of it. She just checked me out, and learned I was not the back down type.
Soon after, they learned my favorite activity when we went to the yard was working with the punching bag.
I didn’t have anyone to hold it for me, so I just worked with the rhythm of the spins and returns. A few times women told me there were gloves available by request, to protect my knuckles. Hmph! I was pretending it was my mom. The blood dripping down my fingers felt like revenge. I told them it was not a problem. A guard told me also. I replied the same to her. A couple of days later a girl I spent time with talking a lot said somebody overheard the guards talking about me and one said they wouldn’t want to piss me off.
I had to laugh. I’m not the sort to go looking for a fight, but if one finds me I don’t walk away hurting.
So, in more detail than I intended to share, it is mostly a community which changes population rapidly, so almost every day someone is checking the pecking order. Only those with issues get involved with a ruckus, usually.