NCJ Number
53814
Journal
CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 329-338
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
USING A SAMPLE OF 40 MINIMUM SECURITY INMATES WITH AN AVERAGE REMAINING TIME TO BE SERVED OF 2 YEARS, THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS OF INMATES TO BEING 'SHORT,' OR NEAR TO RELEASE.
Abstract
CORRECTIONAL WORKERS HAVE FREQUENTLY OBSERVED THAT MANY INMATES DEVELOP SEVERE, OFTEN BIZARRE, SITUATIONAL STRESS SYMPTOMS BETWEEN THE DATE OF NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE AND RELEASE; THEY EVIDENCE INCREASED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND ENGAGE IN IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR. THE STUDY SUBJECTS, INMATES OF THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT FORT WORTH, TEX., WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT SUCH TOPICS AS THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS GETTING OUT OF PRISON, PRECAUTIONS TAKEN TO PREVENT BEING REPORTED FOR UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR WHILE STILL IN PRISON, AND ON THEIR MOODS AND EATING AND SLEEPING HABITS. RESPONSE DATA WERE SUBJECTED TO STANDARD ANALYSES OF PLANNED COMPARISONS WITH UNIT-SEX AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND THEN TREATED AS DEPENDENT INDICES AND SUBJECTED TO A PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS FACTORS ANALYSIS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF DETERMINING THE PRINCIPAL BEHAVIORAL AND PERCEPTUAL COMPONENTS OF 'SHORT-ITIS' (SYMPTOMS RELATED TO BEING SHORT). RESULTS SHOWED THAT 95 PERCENT OF INMATES BELIEVED THAT SHORT-ITIS EXISTED ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNGER AND FEMALE INMATES. THE SPECIFIC VARIABLES CAUSING SHORT-ITIS CANNOT BE TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY THE INSTITUTION. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT MORE RESEARCH BE DONE ON THIS SUBJECT, THAT A COUNSELING-ORIENTED PROGRAM BE DEVELOPED FOR SUSCEPTIBLE INMATES, AND THAT AN ONGOING EVALUATION BE CONDUCTED FOR THIS PROGRAM. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED.