PERCEPTUAL EFFECTS OF PENAL INSTITUTIONS ON THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT

• NCJ Number: 52395
• Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 53-62
• Author(s): J E SCOTT; P J SNIDER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 F01 MH49071-01
• Sponsoring Agency: University of California, Santa Barbara
• Corporate Author: Academic Press Ltd
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: REVISION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON VICTIMOLOGY, JERUSALEM, SEPTEMBER 1973

Annotation

DIFFERENCES IN PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS' PERCEPTION OF PENAL INSTITUTIONS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISPARITY IN PUNISHMENT EXPERIENCED BY INMATES CONVICTED OF SIMILAR CRIMES.

Abstract

IN STATES WHICH HAVE ADOPTED SOME FORM OF INDETERMINATE SENTENCING, PAROLE BOARDS HAVE ASSUMED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DETERMINING THE SEVERITY OF INMATE PUNISHMENT THROUGH DECISIONS REGARDING THE GRANTING OF PAROLE. STUDIES HAVE INDICATED THAT OFFENDERS WITH SIMILAR CASES ARE NOT NECESSARILY PAROLED AFTER HAVING SERVED SIMILAR LENGTHS OF TIME. THIS DISPARITY HAS TYPICALLY BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO DIFFERENTIAL PRIOR CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT OR TO DIFFERENCES IN INMATE BEHAVIOR WHILE INCARCERATED. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHORS SUGGEST THAT IN ADDITION TO THESE VARIABLES AND CERTAIN SOCIAL-BIOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES, THE INSTITUTION IN WHICH A PARTICULAR INMATE RESIDES MAY HAVE AN INDEPENDENT EFFECT ON THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT. THE PAROLE BOARD'S EVALUATION OF INMATE READINESS FOR RELEASE MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE BOARD'S STEREOTYPING OF INMATES ACCORDING TO PERCEPTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION IN WHICH THE INMATE RESIDES. THE DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE GATHERED FROM PRISON RECORDS OF TWO ADULT MALE PENAL INSTITUTIONS FOR FELONY OFFENDERS LOCATED IN MIDWESTERN STATE. THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE RESEARCH IS DERIVED FROM THE FIELD OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, SPECIFICALLY FROM RESEARCH DEALING WITH PERSON PERCEPTION AND STEREOTYPING BEHAVIOR. A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INSTITUTION AND THE SEVERITY OF PUNISHMENT SUFFERED WAS FOUND. IT APPEARS THAT THE PAROLE BOARD'S STEREOTYPE IMAGE OF MAXIMUM-SECURITY INSTITUTIONS BEING PRISONS FOR MORE DANGEROUS OFFENDERS DOES AFFECT THEIR PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION OF THE INMATE'S READINESS FOR PAROLE. THE AUTHORS CONSIDER THIS BEHAVIOR TO CONSTITUTE VICTIMIZATION OF THE INMATE BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MPK)