NCJ Number
46751
Date Published
1975
Length
33 pages
Annotation
A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, SELF-CONCEPTS, VALUES, AND EXPECTATIONS OF 151 UNION CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE INMATES ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM AT LAKE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (LCCC), FLA.
Abstract
THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO AREAS OF POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENT-INMATES AND FOR LCCC AND THE FLORIDA STATE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS. THE INMATE EDUCATION PROGRAM BEGAN IN 1966, AND AS OF 1975 SOME 60 INMATES HAVE RECEIVED ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREES. THE COLLEGE OFFERS OVER 60 ACADEMIC AND 6 VOCATIONAL COURSES. THE CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL INVENTORY (CPI) AND A QUESTIONNAIRE ELICITING DEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONAL HISTORY DATA AND PERSONAL GOALS WERE USED IN THE STUDY. THE MAJORITY OF INMATES, BETWEEN 23 AND 29 YEARS OLD, CAME FROM FAIRLY LARGE FAMILIES (5-9 MEMBERS), AND WERE FIRST ARRESTED BEFORE THEY TURNED 18. APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE INMATES CAME FROM FAMILIES IN WHICH BOTH PARENTS WORKED. THE SAMPLE WAS ALMOST EVENLY COMPOSED OF BLACK AND WHITE INMATES. A LARGE MAJORITY (86 PERCENT) INDICATED THAT EDUCATION WOULD BE A DETERRENT TO RECIDIVISM, 97 PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM EVEN IF THEIR RELEASE WAS MORE THAN 10 YEARS AWAY, 96 PERCENT FELT THAT COLLEGE EDUCATION WOULD AID IN OBTAINING POSTRELEASE EMPLOYMENT, AND 73 PERCENT INTENDED TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM. REGARDING POSTRELEASE SALARIES, 25 PERCENT OF THE INMATES ANTICIPATED RECEIVING ANNUAL INCOMES LESS THAN $10,000, 30 PERCENT EXPECTED BETWEEN $10,000 AND $14,999, AND 25 PERCENT ANTICIPATED OVER $15,000. RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND HAPPINESS, WERE MOST FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED AS LIFETIME GOALS. INMATES WANTED TO TAKE COURSES IN COMMUNICATIONS, SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND THE HUMANITIES. MOST INMATES WERE FIRST-TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO HAD COMPLETED ONE COURSE OR LESS. INMATES WANTED ENRICHMENT IN AREAS OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT, FOREIGN LANGUAGES, AND BLUEPRINT READING. RESULTS ON THE CPI INDICATED THAT INMATES SCORED LOWEST ON THE SOCIALIZATION SCALE AND SCORED BELOW NORMS ON THE RESPONSIBILITY, SENSE OF WELL-BEING, SELF-CONTROL, AND TOLERANCE SCALES. SCORES ON THE OTHER CPI SCALES SHOWED MORE NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS. ON THE BASIS OF THESE FINDINGS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT LCCC OFFER ADDITIONAL COURSES IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, ENGLISH, DRAMA AND SPEECH. LOW SCORES BY INMATES ON A NUMBER OF CPI SCALES SUGGEST THAT RESPONSIBILITY, TOLERANCE, SOCIALIZATION AND AREAS NEED ENHANCING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SUCH COURSES (E.G., PERSONAL GROWTH, HUMAN RELATIONS) BE ADDED TO THE CURRICULUM. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. A COPY OF THE INMATE INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE IS ALSO PROVIDED.