NCJ Number
5313
Journal
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW, CRIMINOLOGY AND POLICE SCIENCE Volume: 61 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1970) Pages: 78-85
Date Published
1970
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN CREATING AND SUPERVISING A GROUP TREATMENT ORIENTED WORK PROGRAM WITH A MINIMUM OF DISCIPLINE IN A WASHINGTON STATE MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON.
Abstract
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY UPON LAUNCHING THE PROGRAM, INMATE DISSATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION BECAUSE APPARENT. THE AMBIGUITY OF THE PROGRAM, COUPLED WITH ITS PERMISSIVENESS AND LACK OF TRADITIONAL CONTROLS HAD MUCH TO DO WITH THE INMATES' FRUSTRATION. THE LACK OF DIRECT STAFF INVOLVEMENT AND INTERVENTION INVITED A WIDE VARIETY OF DELINQUENCIES TO EMERGE, AND COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM FOR THE MAJORITY OF INMATES WHO WERE NOT INVOLVED IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE PROGRAM. THE UNCERTAINTY, FEAR, AND FRUSTRATION GREW UNTIL FOUR CRITICAL INCIDENTS PRECIPATED A PROBLEM-SOLVING PHASE. THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE FIRST TEN WEEKS SUGGEST THAT INMATES WITH DIVERGENT AND CONFLICTING NORMATIVE PERSPECTIVES ARE NEEDED TO EFFECT THE EMERGENCE OF AN INMATE COMMUNITY WHOSE GOALS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OF THE OFFICIALS. WITHOUT THEM IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT THERE WOULD BE, AT LEAST AMONG CLOSE CUSTODY INMATES, SUFFICIENT MOTIVATION FOR ATTEMPTS AT COLLECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING. AUTHOR ABSTRACT