CLOSER LOOK AT BACKGROUND AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 14927
• Author(s): E A GODFREY
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 67 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-A-1944-3-A
• Sponsoring Agency: Kansas Governor's Cmtte on Criminal Admin
• Corporate Author: Kansas State Reception and Diagnostic Ctr
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT OF A KANSAS SURVEY OF INMATES, INMATE FAMILIES, AND EMPLOYERS TO DETERMINE BACKGROUND FACTORS SUCH AS FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND EMPLOYMENT HISTORY.

Abstract

THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS AN ATTEMPT ON THE PART OF THE KANSAS STATE RECEPTION AND DIAGNOSTIC CENTER (KRDC) RESEARCH STAFF TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT BACKGROUND AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENDERS SEEN AT KRDC. A SAMPLE OF 97 INMATES WAS USED. THE STUDY WAS DEVELOPED SO THAT MANY OF THE SAME QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF BOTH INMATES AND FAMILIES OR INMATES AND EMPLOYERS TO TEST SIMILARITIES OF PERCEPTIONS BETWEEN THE INMATES AND THESE GROUPS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SAMPLE CAME MORE OFTEN FROM URBAN AREAS, AND HAD A MEAN AGE OF 24. ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED AS JUVENILES. INMATES TENDED TO PERCEIVE PARENTAL INDIFFERENCE TO THEIR DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL, WHILE EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE FAMILIES WAS OVERESTIMATED BY THE PARENTS WHEN COMPARED TO THE INMATE'S PERCEPTIONS. ALSO, INMATE REPORTS OF SATISFACTORY WORK PERFORMANCE IN MANY CASES WAS NOT SUBSTANTIATED BY REPORTS FROM EMPLOYERS. A SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE SHOWING ALL AREAS INCLUDED IN THE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)