What Influences Offenders Willingness To Serve Alternative Sanctions?

• NCJ Number: 209999
• Journal: Prison Journal Volume: 85 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 145-167
• Author(s): David C. May; Peter B. Wood
• Date Published: June 2005
• Length: 23 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Oklahoma Dept of Corrections; Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relative impact of demographics, correctional experience, and attitudinal indicators on the amount of probation, community service, and boot camp that prison inmates will endure in order to avoid 1 year of actual imprisonment.

Abstract

In October 1995, a sample of 875 inmates (450 men and 425 women) was drawn from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections automated files. To be included in the sample, the offender must have been convicted of a nonviolent offense, must not have had a history of habitual or violent behavior, and must have received a sentence of 5 years or less. These criteria approximately identified the offenders most likely to be eligible for some form of alternative sanction and to serve no more than 1 year of actual time in prison. Data were collected on 415 respondents (181 men, 224 women, and 10 who did not report their gender). Respondents were presented with descriptions of several alternative sanctions and were then asked to consider how many months of the alternative they were willing to serve to avoid 1 year of actual imprisonment. Logistic regression results showed that offenders with higher levels of education were significantly more likely to choose to participate in probation and boot camp than less educated inmates. Also, younger respondents were significantly more likely to agree to participate in regular probation, community service, and boot camp. Those with prior experience in serving sentences in boot camp and community service, but not probation, were significantly more likely to agree to participate in alternative sanctions than offenders with no prior experience. Offenders who scored higher on the Avoidance Scale, which measures assent for reasons to avoid alternative sanctions, were less likely to choose alternative sanctions than 1 year imprisonment. Overall, the associations among demographic, experiential, and attitudinal predictors were contingent on the type of alternative sanction at issue. 4 tables, 15 references, and appended scales