ORGANIZATIONAL STEREOTYPING - THE CASE OF THE ADJUSTMENT CENTER CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE (FROM CORRECTIONS AND PUNISHMENT, 1977, BY DAVID F GREENBERG - SEE NCJ-46507)

• NCJ Number: 46509
• Author(s): R E DORAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 28 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING THE DECISIONMAKING PATTERNS OF THE ADJUSTMENT CENTER CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEES IN 4 CALIFORNIA PRISONS, STEREOTYPING IN THE DECISIONMAKING FUNCTION OF A BUREAUCRACY IS EXPLORED.

Abstract

THE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN THE ADJUSTMENT CENTER IN FOUR PRISONS OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: SAN QUENTIN, FOLSOM, DEUEL VOCATIONAL INSTITUTION, AND CALIFORNIA TRAINING FACILITY-CENTRAL. THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE CONSIDERED TO REPRESENT LARGE GOVERNMENTAL, BUREAUCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS; THE ADJUSTMENT CENTERS WITHIN THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE SEGREGATED HOUSING UNITS FOR INMATES BELIEVED TO BE PROBLEMS IN THE GENERAL PRISON POPULATION. THE KEY DECISIONMAKING BODY DETERMINING THE POSTURE OF THE INSTITUTION TOWARD INMATES IS THE CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE, WHICH MAKES DECISIONS AFFECTING INMATES' HOUSING, THEIR SCHOOL OR WORK ASSIGNMENTS, THEIR CUSTODY CLASSIFICATION, AND THEIR TRANSFER CONSIDERATION. BY DICTATE OF THE (CALIF. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS) 'CLASSIFICATION MANUAL', INMATES IN THE ADJUSTMENT CENTER APPEAR BEFORE THE CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE FOUR TO SIX TIMES MORE OFTEN THAN INMATES IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THE AUTHOR OBSERVED 174 INMATES AND THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS AFFECTING THEM AS THEY APPEARED BEFORE THE FOUR PRISON ADJUSTMENT CENTER CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEES. IT WAS PERCEIVED THAT IN MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THE DESTINY OF AN INMATE, THE COMMITTEES WOULD PLACE HIM IN ONE OF FIVE PREDETERMINED CATEGORIES - INMATES WITH RACIAL PROBLEMS, PRESSURE ARTISTS, THE WEAK AND PRESSURED, PRISON RATS, AND THE RESIDUAL CATEGORY. PLACEMENT WAS DETERMINED BY THE INMATE'S HISTORY AS RECORDED IN HIS FILE, PREVIOUS CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE JUDGMENT, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, THE ATTITUDE OF THE INMATE IN THE 10-MINUTE APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. THE FIVE CATEGORIES ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CREATION OF THESE CATEGORIES AND STEREOTYPED COMMITTEE ACTIONS RELATED TO EACH CATEGORY IS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE INSTITUTION IN EXPEDITING DECISIONS AND MAINTAINING AN ORDER OF STAFF-SUPERIOR TO INMATE-INFERIOR. SUCH STEREOTYPING IS CONSIDERED TO ELIMINATE THE TREATMENT OF INMATES AS INDIVIDUALS. SIMPLY BEING IN THE CENTER SUBSYSTEM ADVERSELY STEREOTYPES THE INMATE, SO IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO SECURE PERMISSION TO RETURN TO THE GENERAL PRISON. IT IS NOTED THAT INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR OF STAFF IS NEVER OPEN TO QUESTION, BUT ONLY THE BEHAVIOR OF THE INMATE IN RELATION TO STAFF EXPECTATIONS. POSITIVE COMMITTEE POSTURES WERE MOST OFTEN EVIDENCED TOWARD THOSE INMATES WHO ACCEPTED WITHOUT ARGUMENT THE COMMITTEE'S CLAFFIFICATION, WITH ATTENDANT REMORSE AND RESOLVE TO DO BETTER. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)