INFORMAL HELPING NETWORKS IN PRISON - THE SHAPE OF GRASS-ROOTS CORRECTIONAL INTERVENTION

• NCJ Number: 57874
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 53-70
• Author(s): R JOHNSON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0030
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Pergamon Press, Inc
• Sale Source: Pergamon Press
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REQUEST PHOTOCOPY OF ARTICLE WHEN ORDERING

Annotation

DATA FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 48 CUSTODIAL AND TREATMENT WORKERS IN 2 NEW YORK STATE PRISONS ARE ANALYZED IN A STUDY OF INFORMAL HELPING NETWORKS FOR INMATES.

Abstract

THE INTERVIEW DATA ARE USED TO RECONSTRUCT THE PARAMETERS OF INFORMAL HELPING NETWORKS, TO IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE OR INHIBIT THEIR DEVELOPMENT, AND TO ASSESS THEIR UTILITY IN THE HELPING PROCESS. THE HELPING ROLES ALLOCATED BY TREATMENT STAFF TO CUSTODIAL STAFF OR ASSUMED BY THE LATTER, THE DEGREE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS OF WORKERS, AND THE NATURE OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STAFF MEMBERS AND INMATES WITH ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS ARE EXPLORED. THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT FEW TREATMENT WORKERS HAD ESTABLISHED SYSTEMATIC WORKING LINKS WITH CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL. GUARDS MADE RELATIVELY FEW REFERRALS TO TREATMENT STAFF, AND IN TURN WERE RARELY CALLED UPON TO ACT AS RESOURCES FOR PROBLEM MANAGEMENT AND CRISIS INTERVENTION. IN ONLY TWO INSTANCES WERE INFORMAL HELPING NETWORKS IDENTIFIED. IN ONE CASE, A CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR HAD ESTABLISHED ONGOING COOPERATIVE LINKS WITH 10 GUARDS, WHO IN TURN HAD ENCOURAGED SOME OF THEIR PEERS TO PLAY CONSTRUCTIVE ROLES IN THE HELPING PROCESS. THESE GUARDS VIEWED THEMSELVES AS PART OF A TEAM LED BY THE COUNSELOR. WHILE THIS NETWORK ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL OF INFORMAL HUMAN SERVICE MECHANISMS IN PRISONS, THE INTERVIEW DATA POINT TO CONDITIONS THAT INHIBIT THE EMERGENCE OF SUCH MECHANISMS (E.G., CONFLICT AND ANTAGONISM BETWEEN CUSTODIAL AND TREATMENT STAFF). GIVEN THE LIKELIHOOD THAT RESOURCES WITH WHICH TO PURSUE THE GOAL OF REHABILITATION WILL BE REDUCED, CORRECTIONS MANAGERS WOULD DO WELL TO LOOK TO INFORMAL STAFF NETWORKS AS A MEANS OF REDUCING THE DEBILITATING EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT. TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF HELPING COMMUNITIES WITHIN PRISONS, CORRECTIONS MANAGERS WILL NEED TO RECONSIDER THE ROLES OF STAFF MEMBERS AND INMATES THEMSELVES IN THE CORRECTIONS PROCESS. EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEWS AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.