NCJ Number
138299
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Growth Orientation Inc., Personal Development Program (GODEV), in operation at the New River Correctional Institution (Florida), prepares inmates for their return to the community through teaching social and functional skills. The program consists of a 4-week orientation session followed by 6 weeks of daily work combined with personal development programs designed to improve social, communication, and vocational skills.
Abstract
The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was administered to inmates before assignment to GODEV classes and after completion of the program; results for 127 inmates were analyzed to measure the psychological impact of the program. The test measures personality dimensions, including obsessiveness, depression, hostility, anxiety, paranoia, and psychoticism. The results for this sample showed statistically significant reductions, particularly in the areas of depression, hostility, and paranoid ideation. Future research should control for other variables and use a control group in order to test for a causal relationship between these results and participation in the GODEV program. 1 table