COMPARISONS OF INMATES' AND STAFF'S JUDGMENTS OF THE SEVERITY OF OFFENSES

• NCJ Number: 6195
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1969) Pages: 41-55
• Author(s): D K SECHREST
• Date Published: 1969
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INMATES AND STAFF OF A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN THEIR JUDGMENTS OF THE SEVERITY OF VARIOUS OFFENSES.

Abstract

INMATES WERE DIVIDED AND PLACED IN AN EARLY, MIDDLE OR LATE GROUP, DEPENDING UPON THE PHASE OF COMMITMENT THEY WERE SERVING. THE STAFF WAS DIVIDED INTO GROUPS, ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION, ADMINISTRATIVE, CLINICAL OR OFFICER, IN WHICH THEY WERE EMPLOYED. EACH GROUP WAS ASKED TO RATE THIRTY-NINE OFFENSES ON A ZERO TO TEN POINT SCALE. FROM THESE RATINGS, OFFENSES WERE RANKED FROM THE MOST SEVERE TO THE LEAST SEVERE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INMATES AND STAFF IN THEIR RANK-ORDERING OF OFFENSES, ALTHOUGH SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE SEVERITY RATING OF OFFENSES DID OCCUR. INMATES WHO WERE IN EITHER THE EARLY OR LATE PHASE OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL CAREERS TENDED TO SEE ALL OFFENSES MORE SEVERLY. IN THE OFFENSE CATEGORIES OF NARCOTICS AND FALSE PRETENSES, CHECKS AND FORGERY, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RATINGS OF THE ACTUAL OFFENDER AND OF THE INMATES AND STAFF. THIS SUGGESTED THAT THESE OFFENDERS NEEDED TO BE SOCIALIZED RATHER THAN RESOCIALIZED. AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED