NCJ Number
62586
Date Published
1979
Length
83 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH INDICATES THAT BEFORE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONTENTION THAT CORRECTIONS CANNOT CHANGE THE PROBABILITY OF REOFFENSE, ADDITIONAL STUDY OF THE CORRECTIONAL AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTS IS WARRANTED.
Abstract
THIS STUDY INVOLVES TWO CONSIDERATIONS: (1) ARE ORGANIZATIONAL DIFFERENCES IMPORTANT WHEN ASSESSING OUTCOME DIFFERENCES? AND (2) IS THE ENVIRONMENT, AS CONCEIVED AND MEASURED, RELATED TO OUTCOME? PROCEDURES USED IN CORRECTIONAL OUTCOME EVALUATIONS ARE ELABORATED IN ORDER TO PRODUCE MORE EXACT ANALYSES. SEVERAL APPROACHES TO RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD ARE EXAMINED, INCLUDING THE IDEA OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT (THE TOTAL EFFECT OF LIVING AND WORKING WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION). DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE CORRECTIONAL LITERATURE WHICH HAVE BEEN USED TO STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT OF CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS OF PRISONIZATION; SCOPE, PERVASIVENESS, AND SANCTION; AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, PRODUCTION, ADAPTATION, AND BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE. ANOTHER METHOD USED TO STUDY CORRECTIONAL PROCESSES IS A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE INTENT, METHODOLOGY, AND RESULTS OF 10 CLASSICAL OUTCOME STUDIES DEMONSTRATE THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS AND THE CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART OF CORRECTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS STUDIES. METHODS USED TO MEASURE THE RECIDIVISM STATUS AND INDIVIDUAL BACKGROUNDS OF SELECTED SUBJECTS OF CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FALL INTO FOUR STAGES: (1) SELECTING SAMPLES FROM EACH CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATION, USUALLY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS; (2) OBTAINING BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON EACH SUBJECT; (3) MEASURING RECIDIVISM, USING A PAROLE FAILURE DEFINITION; (4) ANALYZING ORGANIZATIONAL DIFFERENCES. ONE IMPORTANT FINDING RESULTED FROM THESE ANALYSES OF PAST RESEARCH EFFORTS: CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH HIGH OVERALL COMMITMENT ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIGHER RECIDIVISM RATES THAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE HIGH COMMITMENT BECAUSE THE INCARCERATION EXPERIENCE REINFORCES CRIMINAL IDENTITY IN THE FORMER INSTITUTIONS. THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES ARE OFFERED. (1) THEORETICAL CONCEPTS SHOULD BE REFINED AND ELABORATED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A MORE USEFUL MODEL FOR STUDYING ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES; (2) IN STUDIES ON EVALUATION OUTCOME, A 3-YEAR TRACKING PERIOD SHOULD BE USED; (3) OUTCOME STUDIES SHOULD INCORPORATE METHODS TO ADJUST FOR TIME-AT-RISK; (4) DATA QUALITY CAN BE IMPROVED BY CONSULTING PERSONALLY WITH THE PAROLE OFFICER OR SUBJECT; AND (5) STUDIES SHOULD CONSIDER THE POSTCORRECTIONAL COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON RECIDIVISM. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.