NCJ Number
158133
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1995 Pages: 12-14
Date Published
September 1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A sample of 462 inmates from Canadian maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security prisons were asked which crimes they might commit, after release, if they knew they would not be caught; choices included sexual assault, robbery, murder, aggravated assault, theft, drug abuse, or none.
Abstract
The results showed that the longer an inmate had been incarcerated, the more accepting he was of committing another crime. This finding was consistent with the argument that the perceived severity of a sentence does not deter future criminality. Inmates housed in a minimum-security or work release facility were more likely to envision a crime-free future than offenders serving time in a medium- or maximum-security prison. The results showed that, while some inmates incarcerated for violent crimes anticipated committing no further offenses, some inmates with nonviolent histories reported they might consider committing violent crimes upon release. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 9 notes