INVESTIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AT THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER - AMBIENT NOISE AND RESIDENT ACTIVITY LEVELS

• NCJ Number: 67183
• Author(s): N T CLARK; D BRADLEY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 30 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TWO STUDIES CONCERNING THE SOCIAL CLIMATE OF CHICAGO'S METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER (MCC) INVESTIGATE ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE NOISE IN THE UNITS AND TO RAISE ACTIVITY LEVELS OF RESIDENTS.

Abstract

THE TWO APPARENTLY INDEPENDENT ISSUES OF HIGH UNIT-NOISE LEVELS AND PREDOMINANTLY UNPRODUCTIVE OR IDLE ACTIVITY PATTERNS AMONG RESIDENTS CAN BE APPROACHED INDEPENDENTLY OR IN TERMS OF HOW THEY AFFECT EACH OTHER. FIRST, THE DATA SUGGEST THAT A SLIGHT MODIFICATION OF TELEVISION SPEAKER SYSTEMS (WHICH WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE CHANGE) IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE NOISE RELIABLY; THUS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM MAY DEPEND UPON SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE UNIT. FOR EXAMPLE, WALLS MAY BE COVERED WITH SOUND ABSORPTION MATERIALS; TELEVISION LOUNGES COULD BE ENCLOSED WITH MATERIALS THAT BLOCK SOUND BUT DO NOT IMPAIR STAFF MEMBERS' VISION; AND A SYSTEM OF HEADPHONES FOR USE WITH THE TELEVISIONS MAY BE INSTALLED. HOWEVER, A BETTER PERSPECTIVE CONSIDERS THAT A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF NOISE IN A UNIT IS GENERATED BY RESIDENT ACTIVITY, THE REDUCTION OF WHICH WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN REDUCING SUCH LOCALIZED SOUND AS THAT COMING FROM TELEVISIONS. NEVERTHELESS, WHEN CONSIDERED WITH THE RELATIVELY HIGH DEGREE OF IDLE ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITS, THIS FINDING SUGGESTS OFFERING MORE ACTIVITY ALTERNATIVES, WHICH COULD REDUCE THE PERCEPTUAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE EVEN THOUGH THE ACTUAL NOISE LEVELS MAY BE UNAFFECTED. ACTIVITIES WHICH WOULD REMOVE RESIDENTS FROM THE UNITS WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL, BUT UNIT-BASED ACTIVITIES REQUIRING MORE CONCENTRATION WOULD SUFFICE. A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DEVELOP SELF-IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES (EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ONGOING COUNSELING PROGRAMS TARGETED FOR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES SUCH AS JOB ACQUISITION SKILLS) WOULD CONSTITUTE A COST-AND-EFFORT EFFICIENT SOLUTION TO THE TWO PROBLEM AREAS. THE STUDIES ALSO SUGGESTED MORE RESEARCH INTO STAFF-INMATE INTERACTION CHARACTERISTICS. RESEARCH PROPOSALS, 9 REFERENCES, GRAPHS, AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED.