NCJ Number
75004
Date Published
1972
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A palmar sweat measure of stress was used to examine the effects of inmate crowding in relation to social and spacial density factors.
Abstract
The palmar sweat measure is derived by applying a solution to the tip of the finger which allows sweat gland openings to be microscopically identified from slide prints, creating a palmar sweat index. Two palmar sweat prints were obtained from 46 inmates at the Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution, Tex., and were correlated with the inmates' social and spatial density scores. Social density is the number of potential dyadic interactions in a housing unit, while spatial density is the number of square feet per person per housing unit. The higher the social density index of the inmate, the higher the palmar sweat index was. Spatial density was unrelated to palmer sweat scores, although spatial and social density were significantly correlated. The total number of days in confinement was also unrelated to palmar sweat scores, although this measure was also related to social and spatial density. In addition, inmate perceptions of crowding were measured for 44 inmates and were compared to actual conditions in which the inmates lived. The higher the level of crowding in which the inmates actually lived, the greater their tolerance for crowding, especially for social density crowding. Tolerance for crowding, especially for social density crowding, increased with the number or days spent in confinement. One reference is given.