NCJ Number
7344
Date Published
1968
Length
146 pages
Annotation
COMPARISON OF INMATE SELF-ESTEEM TO THAT OF A CIVILIAN POPULATION, AND STUDY OF BACKGROUND FACTORS WHICH MIGHT INFLUENCE SELF-ESTEEM OF NEWLY INCARCERATED MALES.
Abstract
THE SAMPLE POPULATION CONSISTED OF 153 BLACK AND 182 WHITE PRISONERS, RANGING FROM SEVENTEEN THROUGH TWENTY-TWO YEARS OF AGE. THE CIVILIAN POPULATION USED FOR COMPARISON WAS COMPOSED OF 390 WHITE TWELFTH GRADE MALES FROM THREE HIGH SCHOOLS. SELF-ESTEEM SCORES WERE OBTAINED BY ADMINISTERING THE SCALE TO INMATES ON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE REFORMATORY, AND TO THE STUDENTS IN SEPTEMBER, IN SCHOOL. DATA FOR INMATE BACKGROUND FACTORS WERE DERIVED FROM RECORDS AT THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT NONE OF THE BACKGROUND FACTORS APPEARED TO HAVE MORE THAN A SLIGHT INFLUENCE ON INMATE SELF-ESTEEM SCORES. THE DATA DO NOT SUPPORT THE ASSUMPTION THAT INMATE SELF-ESTEEM AT THE TIME OF INCARCERATION IS LOWER THAN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION USED IN THIS STUDY. ALSO, THE DATA DO NOT SHOW THAT THE SELF-ESTEEM OF BLACK INMATES IS LOWER THAN THE SELF-ESTEEM OF WHITE INMATES. BIBLIOGRAPHY (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)