LEGAL SERVICES, PRISONERS' ATTITUDES AND 'REHABILITATION'

• NCJ Number: 53681
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 69 Issue: 4 Dated: (WINTER 1978) Pages: 616-629
• Author(s): G P ALPERT; J M FINNEY; J F SHORT
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 11 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Washington State University
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University; Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: EARLIER VERSION WAS PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, NEW YORK (NY), AUGUST 1976

Annotation

THE IMPACT OF THE LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT IN WASHINGTON STATE ON INMATE ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, THE LAW, AND LAWYERS IS EXPLORED.

Abstract

IT IS A WELL-KNOWN FACT THAT MOST CONVICTED OFFENDERS HAVE UNFAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; LITTLE IS KNOWN, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CHANGES IN PRISONERS' ATTITUDES OR BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO A LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXPLORE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THE LEGAL SERVICES PROJECT, ITS SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES, AND THE RATIONALE FOR MORE LONG-TERM IMPACT. SINCE THE PROVISION OF LEGAL AID IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY, RESEARCHERS EXPECTED HIGHLY PRISONIZED SUBJECTS TO MAKE LESS FREQUENT USE OF THE LEGAL AID PROJECT THAN THE LESS PRISONIZED SUBJECTS, AND ASSUMED THAT LEGAL AID EXPERIENCE WOULD LEAD TO LOWER LEVELS OF PRISONIZATION, REGARDLESS OF PRELEGAL AID PRISONIZATION SCORES. DATA WERE GATHERED IN TWO STAGES; SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AND PRETREATMENT ATTITUDINAL ITEMS WERE COLLECTED DURING 1974 (TIME 1) FROM 241 MALE PRISONERS COMMITTED BY WASHINGTON SUPERIOR COURTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES. IN FEBRUARY, 1975 (TIME 2) 82 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS WERE AGAIN CONTACTED AND INTERVIEWED CONCERNING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE LEGAL AID PROJECT. ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEWS AND COMPILED DATA ALLOWED CONSTRUCTION OF A LEGAL-AID PARTICIPATION MODEL. STUDY RESULTS SHOW THAT PRISONERS WHO USED THE LEGAL AID PROJECT ARE MORE POSITIVE IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, LAWYERS, THE LAW, AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAN ARE THOSE WHO HAD NOT USED LEGAL AID. LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON ATTITUDES OR BEHAVIOR CANNOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS POINT. HOWEVER, THE APPARENT EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LEGAL AID PROGRAM IN HELPING PRISONERS TO COPE WITH THE LEGAL ORDER MAY BE OF GREATER IMPORTANCE THAN THE SOLUTION TO SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OR PROTECTION OF PARTICULAR CIVIL RIGHTS. TABULAR STATISTICAL DATA AND FOOTNOTES PROVIDED. (LWM)