REINTEGRATION THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL CENTERS - OFFENDER PROBLEMS AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONSTRAINTS

• NCJ Number: 60716
• Author(s): J P BRIGGS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 186 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SPECIAL PRICES FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

RESIDENTS OF A COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT CENTER AND THEIR COUNSELORS ANSWERED QUESTIONS REGARDING PERCEIVED RESIDENT PROBLEMS AND THEIR RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH AREAS OF AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT AND NEEDED POLICY CHANGE.

Abstract

QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION OF RESIDENT PROBLEMS AND THE CONGRUENCY OF COUNSELOR-RESIDENT PERCEPTIONS OF RESIDENT PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED. THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON THESE VARIABLES IS ALSO MEASURED. DATA COLLECTION INVOLVED VISITING 12 PENNSYLVANIA STATE-OPERATED PRERELEASE CORRECTIONAL CENTERS CALLED COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS (CSC'S) IN 1977. ALL CSC COUNSELORS (24) AND 85 PERCENT OF ALL RESIDENTS (146) WERE INTERVIEWED ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION OF 28 POSSIBLE OFFENDER-REINTEGRATION PROBLEMS. RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT RESIDENTS OF CSC'S MOST FREQUENTLY SAY THEY HAVE 'EVERYDAY-LIVING' PROBLEMS (E.G., NEED A JOB, MONEY, TRANSPORTATION). COUNSELORS, HOWEVER, ARE MORE LIKELY TO PERCEIVE RESIDENTS AS HAVING 'LIFE-SUPPORT' OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY-ORIENTED PROBLEMS. CONGRUENCE SCORES WERE FOUND TO BE USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS THAT MAY BE OVEREMPHASIZED OR OVERLOOKED BY COUNSELORS. RESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO RESOLVE MOST OF THEIR OWN LIFE-SUPPORT PROBLEMS BY THEMSELVES. IN ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON RESIDENTS, THE STUDY SHOWED LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN COUNSELOR PERCEPTION OF PROBLEMS BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIATION IN RESIDENT PERCEPTIONS. THE MORE TIME RESIDENTS WERE REQUIRED TO SPEND IN THE CSC, THE MORE FREQUENTLY THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL INTERFERENCE PROBLEMS, AND THE LESS FREQUENTLY PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS WERE RESOLVED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT COUNSELORS STRENGTHEN THEIR ROLE AS A LINK BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES, AND RECONSIDER PERCEPTIONS OF RESIDENT LIFE-SUPPORT PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, CORRECTIONAL MANAGEMENT SHOULD BECOME AWARE OF POTENTIALLY DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONAL CONSTRAINTS, SUCH AS A REQUIRED CURFEW, MAY HAVE ON OFFENDER REINTEGRATION. TABULAR DATA, APPENDIXES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LWM)