NCJ Number
51149
Journal
American Sociological Review Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 71-87
Date Published
1975
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT ON YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS' EXPECTATIONS CONCERNING THE PAYOFF VALUES OF 'GOING STRAIGHT' AND 'GOING CROOKED' ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
A FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF CONTEMPORARY LABELING THEORY, WHICH HOLDS THAT INCREASED PUBLIC INTERVENTION WILL INCREASE THE EXPECTED VALUE OF DEVIANT BEHAVIORAL CHOICE, IS EXAMINED. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 234 BLACK AND WHITE MALE INMATES IN YARDVILLE YOUTH RECEPTION AND CORRECTION CENTER IN TRENTON, N.J. IN 1971. OF THOSE INMATES SAMPLED, THE QUESTIONNAIRES OF 129 BLACKS AND 105 WHITES WITH PREVIOUS IMPRISONMENT PROVIDED THE DATA FOR THE PRESENT ANALYSIS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE INCLUDED ITEMS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES: OFFICIAL INTERVENTION; THE EXPECTED VALUE OF DEVIANT CHOICE RELATIVE TO NONDEVIANT CHOICE; AND THE PROBABILITY OF FUTURE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR. THE PROCEDURE FOR MEASURING THESE VARIABLES IS EXPLAINED. CURVELINEAR TRENDS IN THE EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT ON THE RELATIVE EXPECTED VALUE OF 'GOING CROOKED' AS OPPOSED TO 'GOING STRAIGHT' INDICATE THAT A MODIFICATION OF THE LINEAR EXPECTATIONS GENERATED BY THE LABELING PERSPECTIVE MAY BE IN ORDER. AN INITIAL DECREASE IN THE RELATIVE EXPECTED VALUE OF CRIMINAL CHOICE IS FOUND FOR BLACKS AND WHITES AFTER POINT-OF-ENTRY INTO PRISON, AND THIS IS IDENTIFIED AS A 'REHABILITATION' EFFECT. WITH CONTINUED IMPRISONMENT, HOWEVER, THIS EFFECT IS REVERSED AND THE RELATIVE EXPECTED VALUE OF CRIMINAL CHOICE INCREASES. THIS INCREASE IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE MARKED FOR WHITES THAN BLACKS, THUS SUGGESTING THAT OFFICIAL INTERVENTION HAS DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS BY RACE. ONE SUGGESTED IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS IS THAT PRISON SENTENCES SHOULD BE SHORT TO HAVE MAXIMUM REHABILITATION EFFECT, WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ACT UPON THE APPARENT MOTIVATION FOR 'GOING STRAIGHT' INDICATED AT THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH PRISON LIFE. (RCB)