NCJ Number
53906
Journal
LAE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER/SPRING 1978) Pages: 77-86
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF 267 PRISONERS ADMITTED TO TEXAS' DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOUND THAT ATITUDES TOWARDS THE LAW AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, ALIENATION, AND IDEOLOGY ACCOUNTED FOR MUCH OF THE VARIANCE IN PRISONIZATION.
Abstract
PRISONIZATION IS DEFINED AS THE ACQUISITION OF PRISON CULTURE AND PRISON NORMS. THE LITERATURE REVIEW FINDS THAT THIS PHENOMENON HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN EXPLAINED BY 'IMPORTATION' AND 'RELATIVE DEPRIVATION,' BUT THAT RECENT RESEARCH IS CHALLENGING THIS VIEW. DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 15 AND NOVEMBER 30, 1976, A BATTERY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ATTITUDINAL TESTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY ADMINISTERED TO 186 OF THE 209 MEN AND 81 OF THE 92 WOMEN ADMITTED TO THE TEXAS PRISON SYSTEM. THE DATA ANALYSIS FIRST DISCUSSES CORRELATIONS BETWEEN EACH OF THE ATTITUDE SCALES FOR MEN AND WOMEN, THEN CONSIDERS THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS WHICH INVESTIGATES CORRELATION WITH PRISONIZATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT, FOR WOMEN, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE AND ALIENATION FROM THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM CORRELATED MOST HIGHLY WITH PRISONIZATION. FOR MEN, ATTITUDES TOWARDS POLICE ORGANIZATIONAL POWERLESSNESS AND ATTUTUDES TOWARDS LAW AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM SHOWED HIGHEST CORRELATION. MULTIPLE REGRESSION SHOWED THAT, FOR WOMEN, ATTITUDES TOWARDS POLICE, ALIENATION FROM EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, ATTITUDES TOWARDS LAWYERS, AND ALIENATION TOWARD WORK ARE ALL SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.05 LEVEL AND EXPLAIN ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VARIANCE OF PRISONIZATION. FOR MEN THESE SAME ITEMS ACCOUNT FOR 35 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE. TABLES PRESENT THE STUDY DATA. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (GLR)