NCJ Number
206521
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 504-515
Date Published
August 2004
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the social climates of two types of units (open and secure) within the same South London (Great Britain) juvenile medium-security facility.
Abstract
The study hypothesized that juveniles would rate the social climate of the whole facility more negatively than staff and that juveniles and staff would rate the social climate of the open units more positively than the social climate of the secure units. A total of 43 juveniles and 49 staff members from each of the open and secure units were recruited for the study. They completed the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES), a measure of social climate. A number of the CIES subscales measure the Relationship dimension, which consists of the level of resident involvement in the running of the unit and the level of support that staff afford residents and residents afford each other. Three other subscales measure the Personal Growth dimension, which pertains to treatment orientation of a unit, including the degree of resident independence and responsibility, and whether units encourage training in vocational activities or encourage the development of problem-solving skills. Three additional subscales measure the System Maintenance dimension, which involves the degree to which staff implement measures to maintain order within a unit, the clarity and predictability of the rules and regulations associated with a unit, and the degree of emphasis placed on organization. Adolescents tended to rate the social climate of the facility more negatively than did staff. All participants rated the social climate of the secure units significantly more negatively than the open units on the subscale that pertained to support, practical orientation, and clarity, but not on the other subscales. Adolescents rated the secure unit more negatively than staff on the subscales that measured autonomy and support. Overall, adolescents rated the entire facility more negatively than staff regarding encouraging initiative and leadership, teaching practical skills, and encouraging the understanding of personal problems and feelings. Adolescents perceived the staff as using measures to keep them under control more often than did staff. These findings suggest that staff who believe they are designing and implementing a therapeutic social climate in a facility are misinterpreting how residents are perceiving that social climate. Further research is needed to determine how these differences of perception of social climate between staff and residents may influence treatment outcomes. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 26 references