NCJ Number
98688
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1984) Pages: 34-38
Date Published
1984
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This report of a study that administered a standardized vocational inventory to male adult inmates to measure their vocational interests and determine the appropriateness of such an instrument for this population also discusses the implications of the findings for counseling techniques.
Abstract
Participants were 41 male inmates at the Wade Correctional Center (Louisiana). The mean age of the inmates was 26.29, and the average educational level was 11th grade. Seventeen blacks and 24 whites were in the sample; 18 were married, and 23 were single. All in the sample had achieved a grade-equivalent score of 5.0 or higher on the Adult Basic Education Test (a subtest of the California Achievement Test). The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), a personality inventory developed by Holland (1970), provides information on personality traits, values, competencies, and coping behaviors as well as vocational interests. Ninety-five percent of the inmates scored highest or second highest on the VPI's Realistic scale, which indicates a high level of physical skills but difficulty in self expression. It further indicates a preference for dealing with objects rather than ideas. This finding suggests that inmates who seek personal or career counseling will respond most favorably to realistic or less traditional treatment modes, such as reality therapy, behavioral therapy, and psychodrama. Tabular study data and nine references are provided.