NCJ Number
11051
Date Published
1969
Length
21 pages
Annotation
PAROLEE PERCEPTIONS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INSTITUTIONAL AND POST-INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS SIGNIFICANT TO PAROLE ADJUSTMENT.
Abstract
INTERVIEWS WERE HELD WITH 62 PAROLEES WHO HAD REMAINED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR - PAROLE SUCCESSESAND 30 PAROLEES WHO HAD RETURNED TO ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION'S INSTITUTIONS WITHIN ONE YEAR- PAROLE FAILURES. IN THEIR EVALUATIONS OF INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCES, BOTH GROUPS SAW COUNSELING, VOCATIONAL AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AS HELPFUL. BOTH IDENTIFIED ALIENATION FROM THE COMMUNITY AND CONFLICTS WITH INMATES AND STAFF AS HARMFUL. WHILE STAFF WAS NAMED IN BOTH HELPFUL AND HARMFUL EVENTS, INMATES WERE NAMED PRIMARILY IN CONNECTION WITH HARMFUL EVENTS. PAROLE SUCCESSES WERE MORE LIKELY TO IDENTIFY HELPFUL EVENTS OUTSIDE OF PRISON AS INTERVENTION AND AID BY PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITY. FAILURES, ON THE OTHER HAND, WERE MORE LIKELY TO IDENTIFY SUCCESS WITH JOBS AND JOB TRAINING. INTERVIEW RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT PAROLE SUCCESSES DIFFERED FROM FAILURES IN THEIR REPORTS ON HARMFUL EVENTS OCCURRING TO THEM ON PAROLE. SUCCESSES WERE LESS LIKELY TO REPORT THE RESUMPTION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. BOTH SUCCESS AND FAILURES REPORTED RELATIVELY FEW EVENTS INVOLVING PRESSURES BECAUSE OF PAROLE STATUS. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THE NEED TO PROVIDE GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO RETAIN OR TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)