INFLUENCE OF TYPE OF INSTITUTION ON ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HANDLING OF THE HOMOSEXUAL AMONG INMATES

• NCJ Number: 48559
• Journal: OFFENDER REHABILITATION Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 245-254
• Author(s): J B PARKER; R A PERKINS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE INSTITUTIONAL CORRELATES OF INMATE AND CORRECTIONAL STAFF ATTITUDES TOWARD HOMOSEXUALITY, A STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN IN FOUR DIFFERING TYPES OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

Abstract

ATTITUDINAL QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO A TOTAL OF 151 STAFF MEMBERS AND 156 INMATES AT A JUVENILE DIAGNOSTIC AND RECEPTION CENTER, A JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, AND AN ADULT MALE AND AN ADULT FEMALE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. THE MAJORITY OF FEMALE INMATES DID NOT FAVOR SEGREGATION OF THE HOMOSEXUAL INMATES, WHILE THE MAJORITY OF MALE INMATE GROUPS DID FAVOR SUCH SEGREGATION. HOWEVER, FEWER ADULT MALE INMATES FAVORED SEGREGATION THAN DID JUVENILE INMATES; INMATES OF THE DIAGNOSTIC FACILITY MOST STRONGLY FAVORED SEGREGATION. THE MAJORITY OF STAFF MEMBERS IN ALL FOUR FACILITIES FAVORED SEGREGATION OF HOMOSEXUAL INMATES, AND HIS ATTITUDE WAS STRONGER AMONG ADULT FACILITY STAFFS. ALTHOUGH A MAJORITY OF ALL INMATES FAVORED EQUAL TREATMENT OF HOMOSEXUAL INMATES, ADULT INMATES SHOWED GREATER AGREEMENT WITH EQUAL TREATMENT THAN DID JUVENILE INMATES. WHILE A MAJORITY OF STAFF MEMBERS AT ALL FOUR FACILITIES ALSO AGREED THAT HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD RECEIVE EQUAL TREATMENT, THE STRONGEST AGREEMENT WAS FOUND AMONG THE JUVENILE TRAINING SCHOOL AND THE FEMALE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY STAFFS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE INMATE POPULATIONS DEVELOP THEIR OWN ATTITUDINAL NORMS REGARDING HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR INDEPENDENT OF STAFF ATTITUDES. THE MORE LIBERAL ATTITUDES FOUND AMONG ADULT INMATES AND JUVENILE TRAINING SCHOOL INMATES ARE NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT INMATE ATTITUDES MAY BE A FUNCTION OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND THE CONCOMITTANT RESOCIALIZATION OF INMATES WITH GREATER INCARCERATION EXPERIENCE. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)