NCJ Number
67379
Date Published
1979
Length
128 pages
Annotation
PERSONNEL STRUCTURE AND ATTITUDES IN TWO DUTCH PRISONS FOR MEDIUM LENGTH SENTENCES (NEDERHEIDE AND DE BOSCHPOORT) ARE SURVEYED AS PART OF A MAJOR STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF THE PRISON REGIMES ON INMATES.
Abstract
STUDY DATA DERIVE FROM EXAMINATION OF ANNUAL REPORTS, CIRCULARS, AND POLICY STATEMENTS; PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS; AND STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 136 GROUP LEADERS, GUARDS, AND WORK SUPERVISORS. THE ANNUAL REPORTS SHOW THAT INMATES OF NEDERHEIDE SPEND THEIR PRISON TERMS IN A TOLERANT ATMOSPHERE OF GROUP LIVING WITH HALF THEIR DAYS DEVOTED TO REHABILITATIVE ACTIVITIES. IN CONTRAST, DE BOSCHPOORT IS A CLOSED FACILITY WITH SEPARATE CELLS, LITTLE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, AND FEW ACTIVITIES BESIDES WORK. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT THE STAFF AT DE BOSCHPOORT ATTACHES GREATER IMPORTANCE TO DISCIPLINE AND STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE RULES THAN THE STAFF AT NEDERHEIDE. THE GREATER EMPHASIS ON ORDER AT DE BOSCHPOORT IS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER STAFF DISTRUST OF INMATES AND RELUCTANCE TO HAVE PERSONAL CONTACT WITH INMATES AND THEIR PROBLEMS THAN AT NEDERHEIDE. THE INSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES DESCRIBED CORRESPOND TO THE CONFLICTING POLICIES OF RESOCIALIZATION VERSUS STRICT ORDER. IN NEITHER INSTITUTION DOES THE STAFF INTERVIEWED PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MANAGEMENT, BUT NEDERHEIDE STAFF PARTICIPATE IN OBLIGATORY TREATMENT TEAM DISCUSSION SESSIONS CONCERNING INDIVIDUAL PRISONERS. IN BOTH INSTITUTIONS THE STAFF MEMBERS INTERVIEWED APPEAR SATISFIED WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. HOWEVER, SOME FRICTION EXISTS AMONG THE VARIOUS FUNCTION GROUPS. IN SUM, WHILE DE BOSCHPOORT IS A TRADITIONAL CUSTODIALLY ORIENTED INSTITUTION, NEDERHEIDE REFLECTS THE POST WAR REFORM ATTEMPTS TO RESOCIALIZE OFFENDERS IN TREATMENT-ORIENTED INSTITUTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RESOCIALIZATION EFFORTS ARE NOT CLEARLY DEFINED AND SUFFER FROM THE CUSTODY-TREATMENT DUALISM WHICH CHARACTERIZES EVEN THE MORE LIBERAL CORRECTIONS LEGISLATION. AMBIGUITY IN THE DEFINITION OF TREATMENT CAUSES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAFF AND INMATES IN TREATMENT-ORIENTED INSTITUTIONS TO BE LESS CLEAR THAN IN TRADITIONAL PRISONS. GROUP LEADERS OF TREATMENT FACILITIES SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE OF TREATMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THAT OTHER STAFF SHOULD BE CONSULTED IN POLICY DECISIONS. IN CUSTODIAL INSTITUTIONS, SPECIAL TEAMS OF GUARDS AND WORK SUPERVISORS SHOULD BE FORMED TO IMPROVE INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND THUS TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION EFFORTS. EXTENSIVE APPENDIXES SHOW THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND PROVIDE TABLES OF STUDY RESULTS.