NCJ Number
66777
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 26 Issue: 2 Dated: (1980) Pages: 45-52
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A RECENTLY DEVELOPED SOCIAL ECOLOGY SCALE, THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS ENVIRONMENT SCALE (CIES), WAS TESTED AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR DESCRIBING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AT A MAXIMUM SECURITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
Abstract
THE CIES, A 90 TRUE-FALSE ITEM INSTRUMENT CONSISTING OF 9 SUBSCALES WHICH MEASURE RELATIONSHIP, TREATMENT, AND SYSTEM MAINTENANCE DIMENSIONS, WAS USED TO MEASURE THE SOCIAL CLIMATE WITHIN THE NUMEROUS PROGRAMS CONDUCTED IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING. DIFFERENT FORMS WERE USED TO ASSESS THE PRESENT (REAL) SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND TO DETERMINE THE PREFERRED (IDEAL) CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM ENVIRONMENT. INMATES AND STAFF WERE TESTED WITH BOTH FORMS OF THE SCALE. RELATIONSHIP DIMENSIONS WERE MEASURED BY INVOLVEMENT, SUPPORT, AND EXPRESSIVENESS. TREATMENT PROGRAM DIMENSIONS WERE REFLECTED BY THE FOLLOWING SUBSCALES: AUTONOMY, PRACTICAL ORIENTATION, AND PERSONAL PROBLEM ORIENTATION. SYSTEM MAINTENANCE DIMENSIONS WERE MEASURED BY ORDER AND ORGANIZATION, CLARITY AND STAFF CONTROL. RESULTS SHOWED THAT INMATES PERCEIVE SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE EMPHASIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP DIMENSIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EXPRESSIVENESS. BELOW AVERAGE EMPHASIS IS PERCEIVED BY THE RESIDENTS ON TWO OF THE THREE SUBSCALES COMPRISING THE TREATMENT DIMENSION--AUTONOMY AND PRACTICAL ORIENTATION. INMATES SEE THE OVERALL CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM AS NOT ENCOURAGING INDEPENDENCE AND NOT PREPARING THEM FOR RELEASE. THESE RESULTS REFLECT THE ABSENCE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND PRERELEASE COUNSELING PROGRAMS. THE PERCEIVED EMPHASIS ON PERSONAL PROBLEM ORIENTATION IS AVERAGE BECAUSE PROGRAMS ORIENTED TOWARD DEALING WITH PERSONAL PROBLEMS OF THE INMATES ARE VISIBLE BUT LIMITED. INMATES PERCEIVE THIS CORRECTIONAL ENVIRONMENT AS HAVING ABOVE AVERAGE EMPHASIS ON ALL THREE SUBSCALES REPRESENTING SYSTEM-MAINTENANCE DIMENSIONS. RESIDENTS VIEW THE FACILITY AS STRESSING ORDER AND EXPLICITNESS, WITH THE RULES WELL UNDERSTOOD AND LINES OF AUTHORITY CLEARLY DELINEATED. THE GREATEST DISPARITY BETWEEN STAFF AND RESIDENTS EXISTS ON PERCEPTIONS OF THE TREATMENT PROGRAM, I.E., THE RESIDENTS DO NOT AGREE THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT ORIENTATION TOWARD TREATMENT. ALSO, TEST RESULTS SHOWING DISPARITY BETWEEN THE PRESENT PROGRAM AND THE DESIRED PROGRAM INDICATE THAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED IN THE CORRECTIONAL ENVIRONMENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SOCIAL ECOLOGY SCALES PROVIDE ADMINISTRATORS WITH A VALUABLE TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF TOTAL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS PRISONS. GRAPHS AND 34 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DEG)