NCJ Number
53682
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 69 Issue: 4 Dated: (WINTER 1978) Pages: 627-634
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
REPLICATION OF TWO STUDIES REGARDING SOCIALIZATION IN CORRECTIONAL COMMUNITIES, ONE BY WHEELER, THE OTHER BY GARABEDIAN, IS PRESENTED; A CRITUQUE OF THE GARABEDIAN STUDY IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED.
Abstract
PATTERNS OF INDIVIDUALIZED ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENTS OF CUSTODIAL ORGANIZATIONS (INMATE SOCIAL TYPES) HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT FOCI OF A WIDE VARIETY OF RESEARCH EFFORTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO REPLICATE TWO SUCH STUDIES AND TO OFFER EVALUATION OF THEIR RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS. ALL 410 RESIDENTS OF A MEDIUM-SECURITY INSTITUTION LOCATED IN THE MIDWEST WERE INVITED TO TAKE A QUESTIONNAIRRE ON INMATE ATTITUDES; THE RESPONSE RATE WAS 88 PERCENT WITH THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE SAMPLE BEING 22.6 YEARS, AND MODAL LENGTH OF SENTENCE 8 TO 10 YEARS. SOCIALIZATION MEASURES, IDENTICAL TO THOSE USED BY WHEELER AND GARABEDIAN, WERE A SERIES OF FIVE HYPOTHETICAL CONFLICT SITUATIONS IN WHICH INMATES WERE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE ACTIONS OF THE FICTIONAL CHARACTER. THE INMATES' DISAGREEMENT WITH CERTAIN ITEMS INHERENT IN THE SITUATIONS DETERMINED THEIR DEGREE OF CONFORMITY TO ROLE EXPECTATIONS. CENTRAL TO WHEELER'S INVESTIGATION, BUT NOT SIGNIFICANT TO GARABEDIAN'S, IS THE CONCEPT OF ANTICIPATORY SOCIALIZATION. WHEELER NOTED THAT, AS THE INMATE BEGINS TO BECOME AWARE OF HIS IMMINENT RELEASE, HIS REFERENCE GROUP ORIENTATION SHIFTS FROM THE GROUP WITHIN THE PRISON WALLS TO THE GROUP WHICH HE NOW CONSIDERS TO BE MOST IMPORTANT, CONVENTIONAL SOCIETY. IT IS CONCLUDED FROM THE PRESENT STUDY THAT WHEELER'S ANTICIPATORY SOCIALIZATION HYPOTHESIS PROVIDES THE MOST ACCURATE APPROACH TO EVALUATION OF THE SOCIALIZATION PROCESS AND SOCIAL ROLES IN THE CORRECTIONAL COMMUNITY. TABULAR DATA AND FOOTNOTES PROVIDED. (LWM)