INVESTIGATION OF ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGES OCCURRING IN THE PAROLED INMATE DURING A PRE-RELEASE CENTER PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 53877
• Author(s): J D STOKES
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 84 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: EAST TEXAS UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

ATTITUDINAL AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGE OCCURRING IN THE INMATE POPULATION OF THE PRERELEASE CENTER PROGRAM AT MISSISSIPPI STATE PENITENTIARY AT PARCHMAN IS EXAMINED IN THIS STUDY OF 116 INMATES.

Abstract

THE CENTER IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST THE PAROLED INMATE IN ADJUSTING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. A 3-WEEK PROGRAM OF INTENSIVE TEACHING AND COUNSELING IS PROVIDED TO INMATES JUST PRIOR TO THEIR ACTUAL RELEASE. IT WAS THEORIZED THAT THE VARIABLES OF RACE, AGE LEVEL, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, LENGTH OF INCARCERATION, AND ADJUDICATION OFFENSE WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT BEARING ON CHANGES IN ATTITUDE AND MOTIVATION OF THE PAROLED INMATE. DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS CONSISTED OF THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL ATTITUDINAL SCALE AND THE MOTIVATION ANALYSIS TEST. SUBJECTS WERE ADMINISTERED THESE TESTS JUST PRIOR TO THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, AND THEN AGAIN AFTER THEY WERE OUT OF THE PROGRAM. HYPOTHESIS RELATING BOTH ATTITUDE CHANGE AND MOTIVATION TO EACH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED VARIABLES WERE POSTULATED. ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE WAS USED AS THE STATISTICAL TOOL. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE VARIABLES AGE LEVEL AND EDUCATIONAL LEVEL RELATED SIGNIFICANTLY TO ATTITUDE CHANGE. THE VARIABLES RACE, AGE LEVEL, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, AND ADJUDICATION OFFENSE RELATED SIGNIFICANTLY TO MOTIVATIONAL CHANGE. THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY WERE AS FOLLOWS: (1) INMATES 33 YEARS OLD AND OLDER HAD MORE POSITIVE CONCEPTIONS OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENTS, (2) INMATES WHO HAD ATTAINED A SECONDARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION HAD MORE POSITIVE VIEWS OF THEIR PARTICULAR HOMES, (3) BLACK PRISONERS WERE MORE INTERESTED IN A CAREER THAN WERE WHITE PRISONERS, (4) INMATES 33 YEARS OLD AND OLDER WERE MORE ALERT TO EXTERNAL DANGERS FROM AN UNCONSCIOUS STANDPOINT AND MORE AWARE CONSCIOUSLY OF RIGHT AND WRONG, (5) INMATES WITH A SECONDARY OR HIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATION SHOWED A STRONGER ATTACHMENT TO WIFE OR SWEETHEART, AND (6) INMATES CONVICTED OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON SHOWED A GREATER DRIVE STRENGTH TO SELF-ASSERTION, MASTERY, AND ACHIEVEMENT. TABLES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)