STUDY OF VIOLENCE IN CALIFORNIA PRISONS - A REVIEW WITH POLICY IMPLICATIONS (FROM PRISON VIOLENCE, 1976, BY ALBERT COHEN, GEORGE COLE, ROBERT BAILEY - SEE NCJ-36045)

• NCJ Number: 36050
• Author(s): L A BENNETT
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE CO-SPONSORED BY CORRECTIONS PROGRAM - UNIT OF CONNECTICUT AND CONNECTICUT DEPT OF CORRECTION, MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 1975, DURHAM, N H

Annotation

OVERVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS OF SEVERAL CALIFORNIA RESEARCH STUDIES CONDUCTED BETWEEN 1960 AND 1975 ON THE CAUSES OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN ADULT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

Abstract

THREE DISTINCT APPROACHES ARE IDENTIFIED: FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S MOTIVATION FOR VIOLENCE; EMPHASIS ON THE SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE INDIVIDUAL, ORGANIZATION OF THE PRISON SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AND PARTICIPATION IN QUASI-POLITICAL-REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS; AND ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING. NOTED IS A SHIFT AWAY FROM THIS FIRST APPROACH TO AN EMPHASIS ON THE THIRD. THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED INCLUDE ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL THE MIX OF PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS RESIDING IN A GIVEN INSTITUTION, POSSIBLE INVOLVING THE INMATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RULES AND PROCEDURES, DEVELOPING A PREDICTIVE DEVICE OF INMATE BEHAVIOR, AND ENHANCING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EACH INMATE TO EXPRESS HIS INDIVIDUALITY. FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS IDENTIFIED ARE A CULTURAL-ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE CHICANO IN PRISON; DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE MODEL INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL PREDISPOSITIONS, INSTITUTIONAL STRESSES, AND SITUATIONAL INTRUSIONS; AND EXPERIMENTS INTO THE EFFECT OF SET RELEASE DATAS ON INMATE FRUSTRATIONS.