NCJ Number
84525
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1982) Pages: 279-293
Date Published
1982
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article describes a study addressing the decisionmaking process regarding applications for unescorted temporary absences (UTA's) in Canadian penitentiaries.
Abstract
Temporary absences are a key component of the gradual release plan which is currently a prominent concept in Canadian corrections. Identification of the factors considered in determining whether to release an individual was deemed an important goal of the study, which was conducted at two Federal penitentiaries. The 49 subjects consisted of 3 groups of case management officers. The participants completed three forms, including an open-ended assessment, a time variable assessment, and a decisionmaking rating form. Analysis revealed that there was a high consensus among case officers about what factors should be considered when evaluating a UTA application and the order of importance of these factors. However, other findings indicated some lack of agreement among the three groups of case management officers. Disagreements were evident regarding elapsed time on sentence and its relationship to a favorable UTA decision. Officers tended to use an inmate's past behavior under UTA as a major factor in present decisionmaking. The study concluded that while officers agree on which factors are important in making UTA decisions, these factors may or may not be used in the actual decisionmaking process. Six tables and 20 references are provided.