NCJ Number
49469
Journal
Bewaehrungshilfe Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 128-139
Date Published
1978
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE SELF-CONCEPT AND SOCIAL REINTEGRATION OF 81 LIFE PRISONERS WHO WERE PARDONED OR PAROLED BETWEEN 1945 AND 1977 IN FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY WERE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT ON SELF-IMAGE.
Abstract
TWO BASIC APPROACHES WERE EMPLOYED TO ENABLE THE SURVEY SUBJECTS TO EXPRESS NEGATIVE OPINIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN SITUATIONS AND TO MAINTAIN A MINIMUM LEVEL OF COMPARISON. FIRST, POSSIBLE EFFECTS DISCUSSED TO DATE IN LITERATURE AND UNCOVERED IN THE COURSE OF PRETESTS WERE PRESENTED TO THE SUBJECT ON INDIVIDUAL CARDS. THE SUBJECTS WERE ENCOURAGED TO CHOOSE AND RANK THE IMPRISONMENT EFFECTS WHICH APPLIED TO THEM. THE SECOND APPROACH INVOLVED ASKING THE SUBJECTS TO NAME WHICH OF THE EFFECTS THEY WERE EXPERIENCING AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW AND WHICH THEY ENCOUNTERED JUST AFTER RELEASE. FROM THE NUMEROUS EFFECTS CITED, THREE CENTRAL AREAS EMERGED. THE FIRST, 'ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES,' ARE THE RESULT OF DECULTURATION; THAT IS, A PROCESS OF SKILL LOSS WHICH MAKES THE AFFECTED PARTY TEMPORARILY INCAPABLE OF DEALING WITH PARTICULAR EVENTS IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD. PERSONALITY EFFECTS ARE IN THE SECOND AREA; THEY INCLUDE SEXUAL PROBLEMS, RESULTING IN FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY AND WITHDRAWAL TENDENCIES. IN THE THIRD CATEGORY, THE 'STIGMA SYNDROME,' ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE IS APPARENT; GENERALLY THESE EFFECTS--FEAR OF RECIDIVISM AND CONTACT WITH THE AUTHORITIES, SELF-REPRESSION, EXTREME CAUTION IN MAKING FRIENDS, OVER DEPENDENCE ON OTHERS--REMAIN UNCHANGED AND EVEN INCREASE WITH TIME AFTER RELEASE. THUS BOTH AT THE TIME OF RELEASE AND AFTER, A SUBSTANTIAL MINORITY OF THE SUBJECTS SUFFER CONSIDERABLE ANXIETY. AFTER HAVING BEEN LOCKED UP FOR SO LONG, THEY FEEL THAT THEIR NEWLY REGAINED FREEDOM IS CONSTANTLY THREATENED, ILLUSTRATING THE PRISONERS' FEELINGS THAT THEY LACK CONTROL OF THEIR OWN LIVES. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. --IN GERMAN.