NCJ Number
67360
Date Published
1977
Length
83 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OBTAINED FROM SURVEYS OF INCARCERATED OFFENDERS IN OHIO GIVE A COMPOSITE PICTURE OF THE TYPICAL INCARCERATED OFFENDER.
Abstract
OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTIONS PSYCHOLOGICAL WORKERS HAVE BEEN COLLECTING DESCRIPTIVE DATA ON INCARCERATED OFFENDERS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IT WAS FELT THAT THE SELECTIVE AND SYSTEMATIC PRESENTATION OF SOME OF THIS DATA WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THOSE INVOLVED IN OHIO'S CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM. IN THIS REPORT, DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES RELATED TO INCARCERATED OFFENDERS AND THEIR PERSONOLOGICAL (COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, CONATIVE, SOCIAL, AND ATHOLOGICAL) ATTRIBUTS ARE DISCUSSED. RELEASE SURVEY DATA RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS PERSONOLOGICAL INFORMATION BY PROFESSIONAL CORRECTIONS WORKERS IS ANALYZED. CONTRARY TO COMMON ASSUMPTION, THE MORE TYPICAL INCARCERATED OFFENDER WAS FOUND TO BE A YOUNG ADULT (32 OR YOUNGER) WITH A LIMITED HISTORY OF PRIOR INSTITUTIONALIZATION (1 OR LESS). SIMILARLY, THE TYPICAL IMPERSONAL OFFENDER (I.E., AN OFFENDER WHO HAS NOT COMMITTED AN OFFENSE AGAINST A PERSON) TENDED TO BE YOUNGER, BUT HAD A GREATER HISTORY OF PRIOR INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND A GREATER HISTORY OF GENERAL ANTISOCIAL ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR. THE TYPICAL IMPERSONAL OFFENDER WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE NORMAL MENTAL ABILITY ALTHOUGH HE WAS BELOW AVERAGE IN EDUCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL APTITUDES. THUS HE WOULD ENCOUNTER MORE TRAINING PROBLEMS THAN HIS CIVILIAN COUNTERPART. THIS OFFENDER WOULD ALSO BE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS AND ACT WITH LESS BEHAVIORAL CONTROL. RESEARCH RESULTS ALSO SHOWED THAT, WHEN EXAMINED PSYCHOLOGICALLY IN AN AUTHORITARIAN SETTING, THE TYPICAL IMPERSONAL OFFENDER WILL TRY TO RESPOND IN A SOCIALLY DESIRABLE MANNER, YET IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR TO MEET HIS ECONOMIC NEEDS WHEN ON PAROLE, AND IS LIKELY TO ACCUMULATE SEVERAL NEW ADMISSIONS TO AN INSTITUTION. WITH INCREASING CHRONOLOGICAL MATURATION, HOWEVER, HIS CONTROL OVER HIS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE AND WITH EACH INSTITUTIONAL ADMISSION, HE BECOMES LESS LIKELY TO BE READMITTED. MORE SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THIS DESCRIPTIVE THEORY. TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ACCOMPANY THE REPORT. (MJW)