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YOUTH IN COLLEGES AND IN CORRECTIONS - INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCES

NCJ Number
52098
Journal
American Psychologist Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 114-124
Author(s)
T M NEWCOMB
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF INSTITUTIONAL LIFE ON COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG INMATES OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ARE COMPARED, AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN GROUP PROCESSES BETWEEN COERCED AND VOLUNTARY GROUPS IS RAISED.
Abstract
THE CORRECTIONAL DATA ARE FROM A SURVEY OF 1,459 YOUNG OFFENDERS IN 30 CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS CONSTITUTING A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF SUCH PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE OFFENDERS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES BEFORE AND AFTER ENTERING THE PROGRAMS. COMPARISONS WERE MADE BETWEEN PREENTRY AND POSTENTRY EXPERIENCES AND AMONG THE RESPONSES OF OFFENDERS WHO HAD BEEN IN THE PROGRAMS FOR DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF TIME. DATA ON COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE DRAWN PRIMARILY FROM 1969 SURVEY OF STUDIES ON THE IMPACT OF COLLEGE ON STUDENTS. THE STUDIES ENCOMPASS A VARIETY OF TYPES AND SIZES OF COLLEGES AND INCLUDE COMPARISONS OF THE TRAITS OF THE SAME STUDENTS (PERSONALITY, INTELLECTUAL DISPOSITION, ETC.) AS FRESHMEN AND SENIORS. FOR BOTH COLLEGES AND CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EARLY AND LATE RESPONSES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INITIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS, WITH INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, OR WITH BOTH. THESE DIFFERENCES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SIZE (NUMBERS OF YOUTHS) FOR EACH KIND OF INSTITUTION, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY IN SIMILAR WAYS OR FOR SIMILAR REASONS. VARYING COMBINATIONS OF CHARACTERISTICS, RATHER THAN SINGLE CHARACTERISTICS, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENCES AMONG CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS. IT APPEARS THAT COERCION, BOTH ON ENTERING A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND THEREAFTER, HAS MUCH TO DO WITH THE NATURE AND THE DEGREE OF PEER INFLUENCE IN SUCH INSTITUTIONS. THE DATA INDICATE (BUT DO NOT PROVE) THAT VETERANS (LONG-TERM INMATES) IN SMALL CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS CONTRIBUTE LESS TO THE CRIMINALIZATION OF YOUTHS THAN DO VETERANS IN LARGER CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS. WHEREAS PEER INFLUENCE FOR STUDENTS IS IMPORTANT, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY CENTRAL, PEERS ARE VIRTUALLY THE ONLY WELCOME SOURCE OF HUMAN INFLUENCE THAT YOUTHS IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE. OVERALL, THE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT GROUP PROCESSES AMONG CORRECTIONAL INMATES MAY BE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN VOLUNTARY GROUPS, ON WHICH SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE BASED MOST OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SUCH PROCESSES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)