INMATES' PERCEPTION OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE REHABILITATION PROCESS (FROM TREATING THE OFFENDER - PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, 1977, BY MARC RIEDEL AND PEDRO A VALES - SEE NCJ-46790)

• NCJ Number: 46794
• Author(s): D H CHANG; C H ZASTROW; D H BLAZICEK
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Praeger Publishers; American Soc of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INMATES' EVALUATIONS OF THEMSELVES ARE COMPARED WITH THEIR EVALUATIONS OF OTHER GROUPS (PRISON GUARDS, OTHER INMATES, POLICE, LAWYERS, ETC.) IN A STUDY OF 202 INMATES IN A LARGE MIDWESTERN PRISON.

Abstract

THE PRISONERS RATED 13 GROUPS, INCLUDING THEMSELVES, ACCORDING TO PERCEIVED TRUSTWORTHINESS, HONESTY, 'SAFENESS,' ATTITUDE TOWARD THE LAW, NONVIOLENCE, FRANKNESS, AND SANITY. THE INMATES RATED THEMSELVES QUITE POSITIVELY (JUST BEHIND PRIESTS AND MINISTERS, PHYSICIANS, AND SCIENTISTS) AND RATED PRISON GUARDS AND OTHER INMATES MOST NEGATIVELY. RATED INBETWEEN WERE BUSINESSMEN, LAWYERS, WOMEN, COLLEGE STUDENTS, POLITICIANS, PEOPLE IN GENERAL, AND POLICE OFFICERS. THE INMATES TENDED TO PERCEIVE THOSE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MORE NEGATIVELY AND TENDED TO PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AS LESS CRIMINAL (I.E., MORE LAW ABIDING) THAN MEMBERS OF ALL BUT THREE OF THE OTHER STATUS GROUPS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PENOLOGY SHOULD FOCUS ON UTILIZING INMATES' POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE AND ON IMPROVING THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF OTHER GROUPS, PARTICULARLY OTHER INMATES, GUARDS, POLICE, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.