NCJ Number
142928
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1993) Pages: 149-166
Date Published
1993
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Male and female inmates were examined for reactions to prison confinement at the beginning of their time in a co-correctional prison and 4 months later.
Abstract
A total of 106 inmates at a Federal co-correctional institution in the southwestern United States was selected from a list of volunteers to participate in this study. Half of the volunteers selected were male and half were female. Forty males and 40 females participated in all phases of the study. A questionnaire solicited information on demography, evaluation of surroundings, mood ratings, the frequency of health problems, use of various coping styles, rating of the severity of problems experienced in prison, estimation of the number of support people available to them, and rating of their satisfaction with these support people. Blood pressure was taken during both questionnaire sessions. Number of visits to the medical clinic and the nature of the complaints during the 4-month period were obtained from each inmate's medical records. Evaluative reactions of male and female inmates to the prison became more negative over the 4-month period, and blood pressure decreased. Measures of housing evaluation, problems with the prison environment, and coping styles evidenced no changes over time. Findings support the authors' model of prison adjustment, which suggests that inmate evaluation of prison life will become more negative with increased time in prison because of the continued deprivations of prison life and various problems encountered with staff, other inmates, and institutional programs and procedures; however, because of increased familiarity with the prison personnel, procedures, and population, the level of uncertainty decreases over time, which is reflected in reduced indications of physiological stress. The effects of prison were similar for both sexes. Suggestions are offered for additional research. 3 tables and 19 references