FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF MEN IN PRISON - THE UNCERTAIN RELATIONSHIP

• NCJ Number: 38263
• Author(s): S L BRODSKY
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 150 pages
• Sale Source: D C Heath and Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

REPORT ON A STUDY WHICH EXAMINED THE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, AS THEY CHANGED OVER TIME, OF 140 MALE PRISONERS NEWLY ADMITTED TO ILLINOIS STATE PENITENTIARY BETWEEN OCTOBER 1970 AND FEBRUARY 1971.

Abstract

THE CHANGES IN THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF INTERACTIONS WERE INVESTIGATED IN THE CONTEXT OF THEORIES THAT PREPRISON FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS DETERIORATE OVER TIME. THE MAJOR INDEPENDENT VARIABLE WAS THE LENGTH OF TIME IN PRISON. THE MAJOR DEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE DRAWN FROM THE ASSESSMENT OF LETTERS WRITTEN AND OF VISITS RECEIVED. AT AN AVERAGE INTERVAL OF SIX MONTHS AFTER CONFINEMENT, 100 SUBJECTS WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIP CHANGES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND FREE FRIENDS. OTHER MEASURES OF CHANGE UTILIZED INCLUDED THE AMOUNT OF INMATE SELF-DISCLOSURE, A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF RELATIONSHIPS, FIRST PERSON AND TOTAL PERSONAL PRONOUN FREQUENCY, AND A DISCOMFORT-RELIEF QUOTIENT. WHEN PRISONERS THEMSELVES WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF THE TIME IN PRISON ON THEIR FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, THEY REPORTED CONSIDERABLE STABILITY. ALMOST TWO-FIFTHS OF THE SUBJECTS SHOWED DETERIORATED RELATIONSHIPS WHEN AN AVERAGING OF RELATIONSHIP CHANGE WAS EMPLOYED. THERE WERE SMALL NUMBERS OF PRISONERS FOR WHOM IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WERE BOTH REPORTED AND OBSERVED. IN EVERY WAY IN WHICH THE RELATIONSHIPS WERE EXAMINED, THE MOTHERS OR PARENTS KEPT CONTACT AT OVERALL SAME LEVELS AS BEFORE. THE MOST INTENSE AND THE MOST CHANGEABLE RELATIONSHIPS APPEARED WITH SPOUSES. THE PRISONERS SHARED THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES MOST OPENLY WITH SPOUSES AND SPOUSES SHOWED A PATTERN, MUCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER TARGET GROUP, OF GETTING EITHER VERY CLOSE OR VERY DISTANT. THE EXTENT OF SELF-DISCLOSURE TO FEMALE FRIENDS WAS EXCEEDED ONLY BY DISCLOSURE TO SPOUSES AND THE RELATIONSHIPS WERE CHARACTERIZED BY LONG LETTERS AND FEW VISITS. THE VERY HIGHEST PROPORTION OF DETERIORATED RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS WERE FOUND FOR FEMALE FRIENDS. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED.