NCJ Number
50288
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
CHANGES MADE IN OKLAHOMA'S COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTERS FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF A NATIONALLY STANDARDIZED SOCIAL CLIMATE MEASURING SCALE IN 1976 ARE DESCRIBED. SCORES ON THE SCALE IMPROVED IN 1977.
Abstract
FOLLOWING A SUMMARY OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT CENTERS, USE OF THE MOOS AND WENK CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT SCALE (CIES) AS AS EVALUATION INSTRUMENT IS DESCRIBED. THE TREATMENT CENTERS HAVE SMALL STAFF-INMATE RATIOS AND ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A PERIOD OF PRACTICAL GUIDED WORK EXPERIENCE COMBINED WITH EXTENSIVE COUNSELING DURING AN INMATE'S LAST FEW MONTHS OF THE PRISON TERM. THE INMATES PAY NEARLY A THIRD OF THE COSTS OF THEIR INCARCERATION AT THE CENTER, PAY TAXES, AND HELP SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. IN 1976 THE CIES WAS GIVEN TO 221 MALE RESIDENTS IN THE 5 (AT THAT TIME) TREATMENT CENTERS. RESPONSES SHOWED THAT THE CENTERS WERE NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE COUNSELING. AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO IMPROVE THE COUNSELING COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM. AT THE SAME TIME THREE ADDITIONAL CENTERS WERE OPENED. IN 1977 THE CIES WAS ADMINISTERED TO 342 RESIDENTS OF THE 8 TREATMENT CENTERS. ONE OF THESE NEW CENTERS WAS USING AN EXPERIMENTAL GOAL-ORIENTED APPROACH. THE 'SUPPORT' AND 'PRACTICAL ORIENTATION' SUBSCALE SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED, AND THE CENTER USING THE POSITIVE GOAL REINFORCEMENT PROGRAM HAD THE HIGHEST SCORES OF ALL. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE IN THE COUNSELING PROGRAM DURING 1977 HAD SOME EFFECT AND THAT THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT PROGRAM PRODUCED A DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT AND IMPROVED SOCIAL CLIMATE. GRAPHS SUMMARIZE SURVEY DATA. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)