NCJ Number
67026
Date Published
1976
Length
14 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION ENVIRONMENT SCALE (CIES) TO THE STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER (A FEDERAL FACILITY) IN JULY 1976.
Abstract
THE CIES IS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND YIELDS PROFILE SCORES FOR FOUR OF THE NINE DIMENSIONS. THE PROFILE FOR STAFF AT THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER (MCC) WAS ABOVE THE NATIONAL NORM FOR ALL NINE DIMENSIONS (SHOWING AN ABOVE-AVERAGE SOCIAL CLIMATE FOR MCC), WHILE THE PROFILE FOR RESIDENTS WAS ABOVE THE NATIONAL NORM FOR FOUR OF THE NINE DIMENSIONS. AMONG STAFF, THE MOST POSITIVE DIMENSIONS WERE 'CLARITY' (THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE INMATE KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE DAILY ROUTINE AND HOW EXPLICIT PROGRAM RULES AND PROCEDURES ARE), 'ORDER AND ORGANIZATION:' (THE APPEARANCE OF INMATES, STAFF EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE ORDER, AND THE FACILITY'S NEATNESS), AND 'SUPPORT' (THE EXTENT TO WHICH INMATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ASSIST OTHER INMATES AND HOW SUPPORTIVE THE STAFF IS TOWARD INMATES). FOR INMATES, THE MOST POSITIVE DIMENSION WAS 'ORDER AND ORGANIZATION,' AND THE LEAST POSITIVE DIMENSION WAS 'PRACTICAL ORIENTATION' (THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE INMATE'S ENVIRONMENT PREPARES HIM FOR RELEASE). THE PROFILES FOR NEW STAFF AND TRANSFER-IN STAFF WERE SIMILAR. IN THE CASE OF RESIDENTS, WHEN THE MCC PROFILE WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF FEDERAL INMATES IN THE COOK COUNTY JAIL IN JUNE 1975, MCC WAS SHOWN TO HAVE A MORE STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT WHICH RESULTED IN MORE INMATE 'INVOLVEMENT' (HOW ACTIVE INMATES ARE IN PROGRAM PARTICIPATION). DIFFERENCES IN PROGRAM DIMENSIONS WERE SLIGHT, WITH BOTH FACILITIES SHOWING LOW SCORES ON THESE DIMENSIONS. THE PROFILE FOR ACCUSED INMATES WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE PROFILE FOR SENTENCED INMATES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE DIMENSIONS. THE APPENDIX DEFINES THE DIMENSIONS OF THE CIES. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)