IOWA - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES - DIVISION OF ADULT CORRECTIONS - ATTITUDES OF PRISON INMATES

• NCJ Number: 62198
• Author(s): H J BRADY; J BOUDOURIS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 25 pages
• Corporate Author: Iowa Dept of Social Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY OF PRISON INMATES ATTITUDES WAS THE RESULT OF THE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ESSAYS SUBMITTED BY 30 INMATES TO THEIR COUNSELORS AT THE IOWA STATE PENITENTIARY.

Abstract

THE INMATES WERE ASKED TO WRITE DOWN THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO REFORM CORRECTIONS, WAYS TO IMPROVE THE PENITENTIARY, MEANS FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISM, AND THINGS THEY MIGHT DO AS A WARDEN. BECAUSE OF THE HETEROGENEOUS SET OF MOTIVATIONS FOR WRITING THE ESSAYS AND THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THE REPORT IS ONLY SUGGESTIVE OF THE OVERALL CONCERNS OF INMATES. ANALYSIS OF THE ESSAY PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS: THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES FOR THESE INMATES INVOLVED COUNSELING AND RELEASE CRITERIA, INMATE ACCOUNTABILITY/DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTITUTION AND THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. THE REPORT ALSO CONTAINS VERBATIM RESPONSES OF INMATES TO THE QUESTIONS. A SURVEY OF INMATE ATTITUDES HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED IN ALL OF IOWA'S SEVEN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND RESULTS ARE INTENDED TO BE USED FOR PLANNING AND EVALUATION PURPOSES. TABLES, NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)