NCJ Number
48397
Date Published
1977
Length
286 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH ANALYSIS OF OPEN PRISONS AND OFFERS A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED TRAINING PRISONS IN GREAT BRITAIN.
Abstract
THE OPEN PRISON, OR THE SO-CALLED PRISON WITHOUT BARS, IS A FAIRLY RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CORRECTIONS FIELD, AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE 15 SUCH ESTABLISHMENTS OPERATING IN GREAT BRITAIN, THE GENERAL SUCCESS OF OPEN PRISONS IS STILL A MATTER OF CONTROVERSY. IN COMPARING CLOSED AND OPEN PRISONS, THIS STUDY EMPLOYED DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF PRISON LIFE, QUESTIONNAIRES, TESTS, AND INTERVIEWS COVERING LONG, MEDIUM, AND SHORT-TERM SENTENCES. THIS VOLUME INCORPORATES A STUDY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRISON OFFICERS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF THE OPEN PRISON CONCEPT AND DISCUSSES THE ORIGIN AND AIMS OF OPEN PRISON, THE NATURE OF CLOSED PRISONS, CHARACTERISTICS OF OPEN PRISONS, THE MEASUREMENT OF PRISON REGIMES, HOW THE REGIMES ARE PERCEIVED BY STAFF AND INMATES, PRISON STAFFS, THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF PRISON OFFICERS, PRISON OFFICERS AT WORK, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE: THE MOOS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS ENVIRONMENT SCALE INSTRUMENTION, THE PRISON OFFICER'S QUESTIONNAIRE, THE PRISON OFFICER'S DIARY, THE PRISON OFFICER'S TYPOLOGY MATRIX, AND A TENTATIVE EVALUATION OF THE MOOS SCALE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCE NOTES AND AN INDEX ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)