ANALYSIS OF PRISON STAFF, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND INMATES COMMONALITIES AND DISSIMILARITIES

• NCJ Number: 67365
• Author(s): E S STUMP
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: XAVIER UNIVERSITY, CINCINNATI - A REPORT OFFERED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION CORRECTIONS 540

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, NEWLY-ADMITTED INMATES, PAROLE VIOLATORS, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS OF THE OHIO PENITENTIARY.

Abstract

THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY WAS THAT PERSONALITY INSTRUMENTS WOULD REVEAL FEW DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND NEWLY-ADMITTED INMATES DUE TO THE LEVELING INFLUENCE OF 2 VARIABLES--AUTHORITARIANISM AND THE CULTURE OF POVERTY (A SUBCULTURE OF SECOND GENERATION POOR). INSTRUMENTS USED WERE THE ROTTER INCOMPLETE SENTENCE TEST AND THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE (16PF). A GROUP OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND TECHNICAL PAROLE VIOLATORS WERE ALSO EXAMINED AS A CONTRASTING SAMPLE TO THE VARIABLES OF AUTHORITARIANISM AND POVERTY AND TO SHOW HOW THE EFFECTS OF PRISONIZATION INTERACTED WITH THE TWO VARIABLES TESTED. THERE WERE MIXED RESULTS FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT AUTHORITARIANISM AND THE CULTURE OF POVERTY WERE PROMINENT IN THE PERSONALITIES OF INMATES AND OFFICERS. NO GROUP ACHIEVED A SCORE IDENTIFYING IT AS PSYCHIATRICALLY ILL, ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PAROLE VIOLATORS WERE ABOVE THE MEAN FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION. INMATES AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS BOTH SEEMED TO ENGAGE IN LESS ABSTRACT, PRESENT ORIENTED, CONCRETE THINKING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE LOWER, LESS EDUCATED CLASS. PAROLE VIOLATORS SHARED IN THESE CHARACTERISTICS BUT WERE MORE DISORGANIZED AND CONFLICTED. THEY VIEWED THE PAROLE SITUATION AS NEGATIVE ALTHOUGH THEY FELT MORE POSITIVELY TOWARD THE PAROLE OFFICER. THE RESULTS INDICATED HOW DIFFERENT ATTITUDES AMONG STAFF AND INMATES OF A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION CAN COME INTO CONFLICT, AND THAT THE TOTAL INSTITUTION IMPACTS THE EXPEDIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND THE SUBMISSIVENESS OF INMATES. FURTHER RESEARCH IS INDICATED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS, PAROLE VIOLATOR RESPONSES, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS' PREDICTIONS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (MJW)