NCJ Number
51129
Journal
Sociology and Social Research Volume: 58 Issue: 3 Dated: (APRIL 1974) Pages: 318-334
Date Published
1974
Length
17 pages
Annotation
A TYPOLOGY THAT ORDERS CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS INTO EIGHT TYPES ALONG THREE DIMENSIONS IS USED TO CATEGORIZE AND ANALYZE TWO PROGRAMS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS.
Abstract
THE TYPOLOGY IS AS FOLLOWS: GOAL ORIENTATION (CUSTODY OR SOCIAL RESTORATION); ORGANIZATIONAL SCOPE (TOTAL OR MEDIATORY); AND DECISIONMAKING (PEREMPTORY OR PARTICIPATORY). THE TOTAL CORRECTIONAL ORGANIZATION IS ONE IN WHICH INTERACTION BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND THE COMMUNITY IS VERY LIMITED, WHEREAS THE MEDIATORY ORGANIZATION FOSTERS SUCH INTERACTION AND IS CONCERNED WITH ITS EFFECT. TWO CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS--THE SILVERLAKE EXPERIMENT AND BOYS REPUBLIC--ARE ANALYZED IN TERMS OF THE TYPOLOGY'S EIGHT TYPES, WHICH REPRESENT VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF THE GOAL, SCOPE, AND DECISIONMAKING VARIABLES. SILVERLAKE, A SMALL, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION DESIGNED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ALTERNATIVE TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION FOR OLDER, SERIOUS DELINQUENTS, IS CLASSIFIED AS A RESTORATIVE-MEDIATORY-PARTICIPATORY ORGANIZATION. BOYS REPUBLIC, A PRIVATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION HOUSING 125 BOYS, WAS ORIGINALLY A RESTORATIVE-TOTAL-PEREMPTORY ORGANIZATION. OVER THE 5-YEAR PERIOD FOR WHICH DATA WERE GATHERED ON THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, BOYS REPUBLIC MOVED TOWARD A MORE PARTICIPATORY DECISIONMAKING STANCE. OFFENDERS IN THE RESTORATIVE-MEDIATORY-PARTICIPATORY ORGANIZATION (SILVERLAKE) WERE MORE LIKELY THAN OFFENDERS IN THE RESTORATIVE-TOTAL-PEREMPTORY ORGANIZATION (EARLY BOYS REPUBLIC) TO SEE THEMSELVES AS BENEFICIARIES OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND TO RESIST THE NOTION THAT STAFF AND RESIDENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO COMPETING SYSTEMS. AS BOYS REPUBLIC MOVED TOWARD A LESS TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL STANCE SUPPORT FOR OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES INCREASED. HOWEVER, IMPROVED INTRAORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONS DID NOT RESULT IN IMPROVED CORRECTIONAL OUTCOMES. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT A RESTORATIVE-MEDIATORY-PARTICIPATORY ORGANIZATION IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A RESTORATIVE-TOTAL-PEREMPTORY ORGANIZATION IN ENHANCING THE SALIENCE OF CORRECTIONAL GOALS AND FORMAL NORMS, AND IN DECREASING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT INMATES AND STAFF WILL SPLIT INTO COMPETING GROUPS. SUCH DIFFERENCES MAY HAVE BEEN EVEN GREATER HAD SILVERLAKE BEEN COMPARED TO AN EVEN MORE TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION; I.E., A CUSTODY-TOTAL-PEREMPTORY ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER, THESE CONCLUSIONS ARE BASED ON SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPANTS AND ON MEASURES OF INTRAORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONS, NOT ON OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF ACTUAL BEHAVIOR. DATA ON RUNAWAYS AND RECIDIVISTS FOR BOTH PROGRAMS DO NOT INDICATE THAT IMPROVED RELATIONS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION NECESSARILY REDUCE THE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WHICH THE ORGANIZATION IN INTENDED TO CORRECT. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)