NCJ Number
64265
Date Published
1979
Length
23 pages
Annotation
CRIMINAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE COMPARED FOR OLDER AND YOUNGER MALE INMATES; COMPARISONS WERE ALSO MADE BETWEEN FIRST OFFENDERS AND RECIDIVISTS FOR BOTH AGE GROUPS.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EXPAND AND CLARIFY PREVIOUS RESEARCH REGARDING OLDER INMATES (OVER AGE 50) AND THUS DRAW IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE OLDER INMATE. RECORDS SHOWING DEMOGRAPHIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND CRIMINAL VARIABLES WERE EXAMINED FOR 92 OLDER INMATES AT THE UTAH STATE PRISON, 37 PERCENT OF WHOM WERE FIRST OFFENDERS AND 63 PERCENT OF WHOM WERE RECIDIVISTS. THE SAMPLE OF PRISONERS UNDER THE AGE OF 50 CONSISTED OF 539 MEN; 64 PERCENT WERE FIRST OFFENDERS AND 36 PERCENT WERE RECIDIVISTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE OLDER INMATES HAD COMMITTED MORE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS BUT FEWER PROPERTY CRIMES. THEY WERE OLDER AT FIRST ARREST AND WERE LESS OFTEN DRUG USERS. THE OLDER PRISONERS ALSO EXPERIENCED LESS PSYCHIC PAIN AND DEPRESSION AND WERE LESS SOCIALLY DEVIANT, IMPULSIVE, AND HOSTILE. THE OLDER FIRST OFFENDERS WERE FOUND TO HAVE ENGAGED MORE OFTEN IN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, WERE LESS INVOLVED IN A CRIMINAL WAY OF LIFE, AND WERE THE BEST ADJUSTED OF ALL THE INMATE GROUPS. THE MULTIPLY-INCARCERATED OLDER INMATES MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLED THE YOUNGER INMATES IN THEIR CRIMINAL WAY OF LIFE AND ADJUSTMENT PATTERNS. THERAPY PROGRAMS AIMED AT REDUCING THE TENSIONS OF PRISON LIFE AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS MAY BE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR THE OLDER RECIDIVISTS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE NEEDED BY THE OLDER FIRST OFFENDERS WHO ARE LESS CRIMINALLY INCLINED. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MHP)