NCJ Number
49875
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: (1967) Pages: 418-424
Date Published
1967
Length
7 pages
Annotation
INSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENT GIRLS' ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR OWN READINESS FOR RELEASE ARE TESTED FOR RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND ACCURACY IN AN ENGLISH STUDY OF 11 BORSTAL INMATES.
Abstract
THE STUDY SOUGHT TO VALIDATE SUBJECTIVE SELF-EVALUATIONS OF READINESS FOR PAROLE AGAINST INDEPENDENT CRITERIA, TO CHECK THE VALIDITY OF THE SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENTS AGAINST ACTUAL PAROLE PERFORMANCE, AND TO USE RELIABLE, VALID PSYCHOMETRIC DATA TO RENDER THE SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENTS OBJECTIVE. THE POOLED PREDICTIONS OF THE 11 DELINQUENT GIRLS, WHOSE OFFENSES RANGED FROM BURGLARY, ASSAULT, AND JOYRIDING, TO AMATEUR PROSTITUTION, CORRELATED HIGHLY WITH THE PREDICTIONS OF THE BORSTAL PAROLE BOARD AND CORRESPONDED WITH SUBSEQUENT RECONVICTIONS. EXAMINATION OF OBJECTIVE PSYCHOMETRIC TEST DATA ON THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND ON TWO GROUPS FAILED TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THOSE WHO WERE RECONVICTED AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE MOST SERIOUSLY DELINQUENT GIRLS ARE NOT, AS IS COMMONLY SUPPOSED, LACKING A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF MORAL VALUES. THE YOUTHS DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO BE TAUGHT A BASIC CODE OF ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT. RATHER, THEY NEED HELP IN REARRANGING THE BASIC PATTERNS OF LEGAL/MORAL/RELIGIOUS/SOCIAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL GUILT AND CONTROL BY WHICH THEY ORDER THEIR LIVES. THE STUDY FINDINGS HAVE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TRAINING AND TREATMENT OF DELINQUENTS, RAISE THEORETICAL ISSUES CONCERNING MORAL DEVELOPMENT, AND DRAW ATTENTION TO THE NEED FOR PSYCHOMETRIC AND BEHAVIORAL TESTS OF MORAL VALUES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)