NCJ Number
67945
Date Published
1978
Length
53 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED TO COUNTY CORRECTIONAL WARDENS OF GEORGIA NAD A REPORT OF THE IMPACT OF THE COUNTY COUNSEL9ING PROGRAM ON INMATE BEHAVIOR ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
IN MAY 1978, A BRIEF QUESTIONNAIRE WAS MAILED TO ALL 26 COUNTY WARDENS WHO HAD HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE INMATE COUNSELING PROGRAM. GENERALLY, THE QUESTIONNAIRE COVERED CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; FAMILY CONFERENCES; DRUG COUNSELING AND LON-TERM COUNSELING; ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS SUCH AS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE DUTY AND COURT HEARINGS; THE COORDINATION OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES BY INMATES; AND PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS REGARDING INMATE BEHAVIOR. ALL RESPONDENTS FELT THAT COUNSELORS SHOULD REVIEW DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR COMPLETENESS. LESS AGREEMENT WAS FOUND REGARDING GENERAL COUNSELING DUTIES; FOUR RESPONDENTS DID NOT AGREE THAT DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELING SHOULD BE PERFORMED BY COUNSELORS. OF THE 26 RESPONDENTS, 12 THOUGHT THAT GROUP COUNSELING WAS NOT WITHIN THE REALM OF COUNSELOR ACTIVITY. RESPONSES ALSO REVEAL THE NEAR CONCENSUS ON THE BASIC EXPECTATION OF THE COUNSELING PROGRAM. DISCIPLINARY REPORTS AND EXCAPE RAPES WERE CONSIDERED BY WARDENS TO BE LEGITIMATE MEASURES OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. THESE FIGURES WERE COMPILED AND ANALYZED OVER 19-MONTH PERIOD. OVERALL, THE ESCAPE RATE INFORMATION GIVES TENTATIVE SUPPORT TO THE THEORY THAT COUNTY INSTITUTIONS WITH COUNSELING SERVICES PERFORM BETTER IN TERMS OF REDUCED NUMBER OF ESCAPES THAN DO INSTITUTIONS THAT SPEND LESS TIME WITH THEIR CLIENTS. TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES PRESENT A COPY FO THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE COUNSELOR REPORT, AS WELL AS THE EVALUATION DESIGN FOR THE PROGRAM. ABI LWM