NCJ Number
17163
Date Published
1974
Length
169 pages
Annotation
DEALS WITH PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND INFLUENCE IN PRISONS, TOGETHER WITH COMMUNICATION PATTERNS RELATING TO PAROLE AND THE INFLUENCES WHICH HELP SHAPE INMATE ATTITUDES TOWARD PAROLE.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 283 MEN, WITH 243 HAVING APPLIED FOR NATIONAL PAROLE IN THEIR PRESENT OR A PREVIOUS SENTENCE. DATA WAS GATHERED THROUGH INTERVIEWS, INMATE RECORDS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES. IN PROBING THE SOCIALIZING PATTERNS OF INMATES, FOUR GROUPS WERE DISCERNED. THE LARGEST TENDED TO BE ISOLATIONIST. THE SECOND LARGEST SOUGHT TO MAKE A FEW INTIMATE FRIENDS. A THIRD GROUP TRIED TO KNOW MANY INMATES BUT NOT BE FRIENDLY WITH ANY. THE SMALLEST GROUP EXPRESSED A PREFERENCE FOR MAKING AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE. A PREDOMINATING PATTERN OF DISTRUST AMONG THE INMATES WAS SIMILAR THROUGHOUT THE INSTITUTIONS STUDIED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE INSTITUTION WHERE 30 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS WANTED TO MAKE AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE. IT WAS FOUND THAT KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF THE PRISON VOCABULARY INCREASED WITH TIME AND STATUS AS AN OPINION LEADER IN THE INMATE SOCIETY. IN THE INSTITUTIONS SURVEYED THERE WERE SMALL SELECT GROUPS OF MEN LOOKED UPON AS OPINION LEADERS ABOUT PAROLE. THEIR STATUS WAS CONSIDERED ROOTED IN THEIR SUPERIOR ABILITY, TRAINING AND OCCUPATIONS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PRISON POPULATION IS MADE UP LARGELY OF BLUE COLLAR WORKERS, MORE THAN HALF BEING SEMI- OR UNSKILLED OR HAVING NO JOB. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SUCH PERSONS ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL.