NCJ Number
55813
Journal
Sociology and Social Research Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 112-130
Date Published
1978
Length
19 pages
Annotation
AN ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS BASED ON COMPLIANCE THEORY IS USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSITY IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN PRISONER ATTITUDE CHANGE.
Abstract
COMPLIANCE THEORY ASSERTS THAT NEGATIVE ATTITUDES AND ALIENATION WILL VARY DIRECTLY WITH PATTERNS OF COERCION. THIS THEORY IS TESTED THROUGH AN EXAMINATION OF ATTITUDINAL CHANGE IN PRISONERS SUBJECTED TO A VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS. DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 241 PRISONERS ADMITTED TO THE WASHINGTON STATE PRISON SYSTEM BETWEEN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER OF 1974. INITIAL INTERVIEWS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF FOUR PSYCHOMETRIC ATTITUDINAL SCALES OCCURRED AT THE WASHINGTON CORRECTIONS CENTER WHERE ALL MALES CONVICTED IN SUPERIOR COURTS AND SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 1 YEAR ARE REQUIRED TO PASS THROUGH A DIAGNOSTIC AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURE. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS, EACH INMATE IS SENT TO ONE OF THE THREE MAJOR STATE INSTITUTIONS OR TO AN HONOR CAMP. IN THE ATTITUDINAL SCALES ADMINISTERED, OFFENDERS WERE QUESTIONED ON THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, LAW AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, LAWYERS, AND PRISON CULTURE (PRISONIZATION). OF THOSE ORIGINALLY INTERVIEWED, 198 WERE ADMINISTERED THE SAME SCALES 6 MONTHS AFTER HAVING BEEN ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS--THE STATE PENITENTIARY AT WALLA WALLA, THE STATE REFORMATORY FOR YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS AT MONROE, AND THE CORRECTIONS CENTER FOR INMATES WITH SPECIFIC REHABILITATION GOALS AT SHELTON. RESULTS SHOWED THAT IN A PRISON ENVIRONMENT WHERE PROSOCIAL CHANGE IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL AND DEPRIVATION OF FREEDOM IS THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, PRISONERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD LAWYERS AND THEIR DEGREE OF PRISONIZATION IS NOT AFFECTED BY VARIATION IN INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE. THE ATTITUDES OF PRISONERS IN THE STATE PENITENTIARY BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY LESS POSITIVE TOWARD POLICE WHEN COMPARED TO THE ATTITUDES OF THOSE IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POSITIVE FOR THOSE WHO WERE IN THE CORRECTIONS CENTER AS OPPOSED TO PRISONERS ASSIGNED TO THE STATE PENITENTIARY. THE NONRANDOM PROCEDURE BY WHICH PRISONERS ARE ASSIGNED TO THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS AFFECTS THE FINDINGS ON PRISONER ATTITUDES MORE THAN THE TYPE OF INSTITUTION IN WHICH ONE SPENDS TIME. RESULTS ARE ANALYZED IN THE LIGHT OF COMPLIANCE THEORY. APPENDIXES INCLUDE A SAMPLE OF THE ATTITUDINAL QUESTIONS AND FACTOR LOADINGS OF ATTITUDINAL ITEMS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)