NCJ Number
16258
Date Published
1973
Length
405 pages
Annotation
PREPARED BY THE (KANSAS) COMMITTEE ON PENAL REFORM, THIS REPORT DESCRIBES CONDITIONS AT AND PROGRAMS OF THE KANSAS STATE PENITENTIARY AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF ITS REHABILITATIVE FUNCTION.
Abstract
INMATES AND ADMINISTRATORS SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT, BY COMPARISON, THE KANSAS STATE PENITENTIARY IS PROBABLY AS GOOD AS MOST PENAL INSTITUTIONS, AND BETTER THAN MANY. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF THE INMATES, THE SHEER MANAGEMENT OF THE POPULATION, AND THE DEGRADING, DEHUMANIZING ENVIRONMENT THAT LARGE INSTITUTIONS PROPAGATE IS DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME. PRISONS PROMOTE THE PRISONER'S REJECTION OF SOCIETY. THE PRISONER COMES TO ACCEPT A CONCEPTION OF HIMSELF AS A CRIMINAL. MUCH OF THE IMPACT OF IMPRISONMENT APPEARS TO AFFECT SELF-IMAGE AS THE OFFENDER INTERNALIZES THE SOCIAL REJECTION IMPLICIT IN HIS STATUS. HE SUFFERS THE PAIN OF LOWERED SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REJECTION. IMPRISONMENT APPEARS TO HAVE MORE IMPACT ON THE OFFENDER'S SELF-CONCEPT THAN UPON HIS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE OUTSIDE WORLD. EVEN THOUGH THE INMATE LEAVES THE CULTURE OF THE PRISON, IT WILL HAVE PROVIDED HIM WITH JUSTIFICATION FOR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR UPON RELEASE. THE TOTAL RESULT OF THE INTERACTING TRENDS AND PROCESSES OF PRISON HAS BEEN TO ISOLATE THE CONFINED OFFENDER FROM SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL CONTACT WITH INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE THE INMATE SOCIAL WORLD AND TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF RELATIONSHIP BONDS WHICH MIGHT REDEFINE HIM AS AN ACCEPTABLE MEMBER OF THE NONCRIMINAL SOCIETY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)