NCJ Number
48812
Journal
British Journal of Social Work Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUTUMN(1975) Pages: 312-324
Date Published
1975
Length
14 pages
Annotation
PERSONALITY AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF 230 MALE OFFENDERS IN LONDON, ENGLAND, ARE RELATED TO PROBATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS, COURT SENTENCES, AND OUTCOMES OF PENAL TREATMENT IN TERMS OF FURTHER CONVICTIONS.
Abstract
THE OFFENDERS WERE SENTENCED DURING 1966, 1967, AND 1968. THEY WERE FOLLOWED FOR A PERIOD OF 3 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF SENTENCE, AND FURTHER CONVICTIONS WERE RECORDED. SLIGHTLY OVER HALF OF THE MEN WERE SINGLE, AND 35 PERCENT WERE MARRIED. THE REMAINING 10 PERCENT WERE SEPARATED, DIVORCED, OR WIDOWED. THEY RANGED IN AGE FROM 20 TO 71 YEARS. THEIR CRIMINAL EXPERICENCE VARIED WIDELY, WITH THE MEAN NUMBER OF PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS BEING 6.1. PROBATION OFFICERS SAW RELEASE TO THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT SUPERVISION (CONDITIONAL DISCHARGE OR A FINE) AS A SUITABLE PENALTY FOR MANY FIRST OFFENDERS. IN MAKING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, IT APPEARED THAT PROBATION OFFICERS WERE INFLUENCED MORE BY THE SOCIAL SITUATION OF OFFENDERS THAN BY CRIMINAL HISTORIES. COURTS PASSED MORE CUSTODIAL SENTENCES THAN PROBATION OFFICERS RECOMMENDED. SCORES OF THE OFFENDERS ON THE EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY WERE DIVIDED AT THE MEAN FOR BOTH EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM. A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFENDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY PROBATION OFFICERS. THE MEN MOST LIKELY TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR PROBATION WERE THOSE WHO SCORED LOW ON EXTRAVERSION AND HIGH ON NEUROTICISM, AND THESE SAME MEN WERE LEAST LIKELY TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR CUSTODY. RECONVICTION RATES WERE IN THE EXPECTED DIRECTION. OF FIRST OFFENDERS, 77 PERCENT REMAINED FREE FROM FURTHER CONVICTION. OF RECIDIVISTS, ONLY 29 PERCENT AVOIDED FURTHER CONVICTION. THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF MEN RECONVICTED WERE THOSE WHO SCORED HIGH ON EXTRAVERSION AND LOW ON NEUROTICISM. MEN WHO SCORED HIGH ON BOTH EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM DID WELL; 70 PERCENT OF THOSE RELEASED WITHOUT SUPERVISION AND 71 PERCENT OF THOSE PLACED ON PROBATION REMAINED FREE FROM FURTHER CONVICTIONS. A TENTATIVE EXPLANATION OF THE FINDINGS IS OFFERED IN TERMS OF A PROBATION TREATMENT SUCCESS HIERARCHY. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)