SENSE OF INJUSTICE? - ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND INSTITUTIONAL ADAPTATIONS

• NCJ Number: 66013
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1980) Pages: 495-504
• Author(s): M KROHN; J STRATTON
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: American Soc of Criminology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A STUDY THAT EXAMINED THE EXTENT TO WHICH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESSING IS VIEWED AS UNJUST BY INMATES AND THE EFFECT SUCH ATTITUDES MIGHT HAVE ON REHABILITATION MOTIVATION.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 153 STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE OBTAINED FROM ADULT MALE INMATES IN A MEDIUM AND MAXIMUM SECURITY INSTITUTION IN A MIDWESTERN STATE. RESPONDENTS WERE SELECTED FROM A POPULATION OF INMATES EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED TO WORK-RELEASE CENTERS OR TO PAROLE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THEIR INTERVIEWS. A COMPARISON OF THE RESPONDENTS WITH THE TOTAL STATE INMATE POPULATION SHOWED NO DIFFERENCE IN CRITICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE GENERAL CATEGORIES OF VARIABLES USED WERE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, EXPERIENCE WITH AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PREPRISON CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, ASSOCIATION WITH PRISON PERSONNEL AND OTHER INMATES, AND TWO DIMENSIONS OF PRISONIZATION. THE PRISONIZATION SCALES WERE GENERATED FROM A FACTOR ANALYSIS OF 39 ATTITUDINAL ITEMS. A MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS (83 PERCENT) INDICATED THEY WERE GUILTY OF THE OFFENSE OF WHICH THEY WERE CONVICTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LAW THEY HAD VIOLATED WAS FAIR (70 PERCENT). RESPONDENT WILLINGNESS TO ADMIT GUILT TO VIOLATION OF A FAIR LAW DID NOT, HOWEVER, RESULT IN A FAVORABLE DISPOSITION TOWARD PUNISHMENT RECEIVED. ONLY 42 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS VIEWED THEIR SENTENCE AS FAIR. ABOUT 40 PERCENT BELIEVED THEY DESERVED TO BE IMPRISONED FOR THEIR OFFENSES. INMATES BELIEVING THEY WERE TREATED UNFAIRLY IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM WERE LESS LIKELY TO INTERACT WITH THE PRISON STAFF AND MORE LIKELY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER INMATES. THIS GROUP WAS ALSO LIKELY TO PERCEIVE TREATMENT PERSONNEL AS HELPFUL. THE FINDINGS SHOW LITTLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARD PREPRISON EXPERIENCES WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND PRISON ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR. TO THE EXTENT THAT PATTERNS EXIST, THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE IMPORTATION MODEL (FACTORS BROUGHT BY THE INMATE INTO PRISON ARE DOMINANT IN AFFECTING PRISON ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR). TABULAR DATA, NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)