NCJ Number
34183
Date Published
1976
Length
339 pages
Annotation
USING INTENSIVE OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN A PROTOTYPICAL JUVENILE REFORMATORY, THE AUTHORS CONSTRUCT A DETAILED PICTURE OF THE EXPLOITATIVE PATTERNS OF STAFF AND INMATES IN THE JUVENILE INSTITUTION.
Abstract
TECHNIQUES OF THE AUTHORS INCLUDED NOT ONLY PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS, BUT ADMINISTRATION OF AN EXPLOITATION RATING SCHEDULE COMPLETED BY STAFF ON EACH INMATE, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS OF INMATES, AND COLLECTION OF DATA ON EACH YOUTH'S CRIMINAL HISTORY, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES, AGE, AND RATINGS ON INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT. USING THIS DATA, THE AUTHORS EXAMINE THE PATTERNS OF EXPLOITATION FOR INMATES VERSUS INMATES, INMATES VERSUS STAFF, AND STAFF VERSUS INMATES. THE AUTHORS STATE THAT THEIR DATA SUGGESTS THAT EXPLOITATION AND VICTIMIZATION, LIKE THE DEPRIVATION OF FREEDOM AND THE OTHER PAINS OF PUNISHMENT, ARE INHERENT ASPECTS OF INSTITUTIONAL LIFE. AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT OF ALL THE RESIDENTS COULD BE LOCATED AT SOME POINT ON THE EXPLOITATION-VICTIMIZATION DIMENSION. SPECIFIC TOPICS INVESTIGATED IN THIS STUDY INCLUDED THE INMATE PROCESSING OF INMATES, SOCIAL ROLES AND EXPLOITATION, EXPLOITATION DETERMINANTS, AND THE STAFF CODE IN RELATION TO INMATE VICTIMIZATION.