NCJ Number
174787
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 1997 Pages: 39-47
Date Published
1997
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Sixty-one inmates who admitted committing serial rape were interviewed by other convicted felons to determine the amount of violence they used when they were sexually assaulting strangers.
Abstract
The author provided 15 weeks of training to 13 violent offenders who were incarcerated at a maximum-security prison and enrolled in a sociology of crime course. Student-interviewers each recruited and interviewed five volunteers from their cell block to discuss hypothetical predatory rape prior to incarceration. A typical interview lasted over an hour and was conducted in various cells throughout the prison. In addition, the author interviewed 12 volunteer participant inmates recruited through assistance provided by a correctional officer. Results revealed several descriptions of murder and necrophilia. However, violence was selective and was used sparingly by career rapists. Thus, findings did not support the general public conception of rape. Findings were also perplexing in that most of the offenders were arrested for acts of violence rather than their sexual assaults. Findings suggest that it would be more logical to invest in the treatment of younger children who demonstrate violent characteristics than in the rehabilitation of the more severe, older offenders. This article is the third part of a series based on the same sample. Tables, footnotes, and 52 references