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ON THE MEASUREMENT OF SOCIAL ROLES ADAPTATIONS IN THE PRISON COMMUNITY

NCJ Number
32971
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1976) Pages: 11-21
Author(s)
C W THOMAS; S C FOSTER
Date Published
1976
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES MEANS OF ACQUIRING INFORMATION ON THE TYPE OF SOCIAL ROLE ASSUMED BY AN INMATE AND HOW THIS KNOWLEDGE MIGHT AID THOSE INTERESTED OR INVOLVED IN ATTEMPTS TO ALTER ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF THE INMATE.
Abstract
THE AUTHORS EXAMINE BOTH THE EXTENT TO WHICH THIS APPROACH CAN DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN ROLE TYPES AND ITS POTENTIAL AS A PREDICTOR OF OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF ADAPTATION TO CONFINEMENTS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA OBTAINED THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRES AT THE VIRGINIA MAXIMUM SECURITY INSTITUTION. IT WAS FOUND THAT INMATES COULD EFFECTIVELY BE CLASSIFIED AS ADAPTING ONE OF FIVE ROLES, AND THAT THESE ROLES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO ATTITUDES TOWARD INCARCERATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)