NCJ Number
28216
Date Published
1974
Length
161 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A STUDY ON THE INCREASE IN RATIO OF PRISON WELFARE OFFICERS TO PRISONERS AND ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CASEWORK APPROACH IN PRISON.
Abstract
THE STUDY TOOK THE FORM OF AN EXPERIMENT. GROUPS OF MEN AT TWO TRAINING PRISONS, ASHWELL AND GARTREE, WERE OFFERED A SERIES OF WEEKLY INTERVIEWS WITH A WELFARE OFFICER OVER THE FINAL 6 MONTHS OF THEIR SENTENCES. THE MEN WERE SELECTED AT RANDOM, AND THEIR PROGRESS DURING THE 6 MONTHS AND AFTER RELEASE WAS ASSESSED AND COMPARED WITH THAT OF A CONTROL GROUP SELECTED IN THE SAME WAY. THERE WERE FOUR RELATED AIMS IN THE STUDY. THE FIRST WAS TO EXPLORE THE PRISONERS' ATTITUDES TO, AND EXPECTATIONS OF, THE WELFARE OFFICER. THE SECOND WAS TO MEASURE THE EFFECTS OF INTENSIVE SOCIAL WORK TREATMENT ON THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, THE THIRD TO EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE AFFECTED BY THE TREATMENT PROGRAMME, AND THE LAST TO FIND WHICH TYPES OF MEN WERE MOST INFLUENCED BY THE TREATMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)