NCJ Number
166804
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 24 Issue: 1 & 2 Dated: (January & July 1996) Pages: 60-69
Date Published
1996
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Perceptions of Pakistani prisoners about their problems were explored using a 40-item scale to obtain severity scores from subject ratings of problems in terms of frequency and intensity of occurrence.
Abstract
The sample included 90 male prisoners from Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Peshawar district prisons. Subjects were divided into three groups based on the number of years imprisoned: (1) long stay, 5 years or more; (2) medium stay, 3 years or more but less than 5 years; and (3) short stay, 1 year or more but less than 3 years. Five most severe and five least severe problems perceived by prisoners were identified. Problems reported as most severe concerned outside prison problems, future worries, and psychological stresses. Specifically, prisoners wished time would go faster, felt guilty that their family was in trouble because of them, felt that life was being wasted, desired an honorable life after release, and missed someone. The preferred way of handling a problem was for prisoners to take care of it themselves. Implications of the study findings are discussed, and suggestions to improve prison conditions are offered. A list of prisoner problems is appended. 25 references and 3 tables