NCJ Number
13773
Date Published
1972
Length
329 pages
Annotation
THE GIBBONS' CRIMINAL TYPOLOGY IS EMPIRICALLY TESTED AMONG A GROUP OF INMATES AT THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT GRATERFORD.
Abstract
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS THE SELECTION OF A SOCIOLOGICAL OR SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPOLOGY OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THAT ADEQUATELY MEETS SPECIFIED CRITERIA AND THE EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE SELECTED TYPOLOGY. THE GIBBONS TYPOLOGY CONSISTS OF FIFTEEN OFFENDER TYPES. EIGHTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE RESIDENT INMATE POPULATION AT THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT GRATERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO GIBBONS' CRIMINAL TYPOLOGY. THE OFFENDER TYPES REPRESENTED IN THE INMATE POPULATION WERE THE PROFESSIONAL THIEF, THE SEMIPROFESSIONAL PROPERTY CRIMINAL, THE ONE-TIME LOSER PROPERTY OFFENDER, THE JOYRIDER AUTOMOBILE THIEF, THE NATIVE CHECK FORGER, THE WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINAL, THE ONE TIME LOSER PERSONAL OFFENDER, THE PSYCHOPATHIC ASSAULTIST, THE VIOLENT SEX OFFENDER, THE RAPE NONVIOLENT SEX OFFENDER, THE STATUTORY RAPIST, AND THE NARCOTIC ADDICT. MOST OF THE INMATES FITTED INTO THE SEMIPROFESSIONAL PROPERTY CRIMINAL TYPE. OTHER OFFENDER CATEGORIES CONTAINING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE INMATE POPULATION WERE THE ONE-TIME LOSER PERSONAL OFFENDER, THE PSYCHOPATHIC ASSAULTIST, AND THE VIOLENT SEX OFFENDER. FOR EACH TYPOLOGY THE DEFINITIONAL DIMENSIONS OF OFFENSE BEHAVIOR, INTERACTIONAL SETTING, SELF-CONCEPT, ATTITUDES, AND ROLE CAREER WERE TESTED BY DRAWING DATA CONCERNING THESE DIMENSIONS FROM THE CASE-FILES AND FROM INTERVIEWS OF A STRATIFIED SAMPLE DRAWN FROM THE INMATES IN THE OFFENDER TYPES. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT THE GIBBONS' CRIMINAL TYPOLOGY IS TESTABLE.