SURVEY OF OFFENDERS' PERCEPTIONS OF A FEDERAL RECEPTION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS

• NCJ Number: 51187
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 393-408
• Author(s): M GVENTER; F J PORPORINO
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Canadian Assoc for the Prevention of Crime
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: French; English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

TO DOCUMENT OFFENDERS' PERCEPTION OF A FEDERAL RECEPTION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS, 109 INMATES WERE SURVEYED DURING THE 7TH WEEK FOLLOWING THEIR ADMISSION TO THE REGIONAL RECEPTION CENTER AT KINGSTON, CANADA.

Abstract

THE SURVEY INCLUDED A NUMBER OF BASIC QUESTIONS WITH APPROPRIATE SCALES PROVIDED FOR EACH RESPONSE. QUESTIONS WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A GENERAL EVALUATION OF RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE RECEPTION PROCESS AND TO GATHER SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. AN ADJECTIVE CHECKLIST WAS INCLUDED TO INDICATE INMATES' INITIAL AND CURRENT REACTION TO THE CENTER. THE DATA SUGGEST THAT FIRST OFFENDERS AND, TO A LESSER DEGREE, SECOND OFFENDERS HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK THAN DO MULTIRECIDIVISTS. FIRST OFFENDERS SEEM TO LEAVE THE CENTER MORE FREQUENTLY WITH HIGH HOPES AND POSITIVE ATTITUDES, BELIEVING THAT A MEANINGFUL PROGRAM HAS BEEN SET UP FOR THEM AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THE PROGRAM AT THE RECEIVING INSTITUTION. THEY GENERALLY REGARD THE RECEPTION ASSESSMENT PROCESS AS WORTHWHILE. IF THEY FIND THE RECOMMENDATIONS MEANINGLESS AND SEE LITTLE CHANCE FOR FOLLOWUP, THEY TEND TO PERCEIVE LITTLE VALUE IN PASSING THROUGH RECEPTION. IN THE CASE OF NEGATIVE FIRST OFFENDERS, A SPECIAL EFFORT MAY BE NECESSARY TO GAIN THEIR CONFIDENCE AND MAKE THEM AWARE OF OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. IN COMPARISON TO FIRST OFFENDERS, RECIDIVISTS APPEAR GENERALLY APATHETIC AND CYNICAL, EXPRESSING A NORMATIVE PREFERENCE TO HAVE SKIPPED RECEPTION AND LITTLE INTEREST IN PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS EVEN IF SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PERCEIVED TO BE MEANINGFUL AND ACCURATE. FURTHER, THEY ARE CYNICAL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE PROGRAMS IN EITHER INSTITUTIONS IN GENERAL OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE INSTITUTION TO WHICH THEY ARE TO BE ASSIGNED. THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE SYSTEM INSTITUTED AT THE CENTER, WHICH INSULATES FIRST OFFENDERS FROM THE CYNICISM AND NEGATIVISM OF MULTIOFFENDERS BY SEPARATING FIRST OFFENDERS AND RECIDIVISTS. GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH FOOTNOTES. (KBL)