FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE ATTITUDES OF GIRLS TOWARD STAFF IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

• NCJ Number: 7271
• Author(s): H J BERTCHER
• Date Published: 1966
• Length: 324 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATION

Annotation

INMATE ATTITUDES TOWARD THEMSELVES AND THEIR DISCHARGE, AND THE EFFECTS OF INTERACTION WITH FELLOW INMATES AND STAFF ON PRISONER ATTITUDES IN GENERAL.

Abstract

THE METHOD OF THIS STUDY INVOLVED INDIVIDUAL TAPE RECORDED INTERVIEWS WITH FORTY-EIGHT INMATES IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR DELINQUENT GIRLS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THIRTY-THREE OF THE GIRLS HAD POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE COTTAGE STAFF, BUT ONLY TWENTY-THREE HAD POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TREATMENT STAFF. GENERALLY, THE GIRLS THOUGHT THEY HAD AN APPROPRIATE SHARE IN MAKING DECISIONS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD STAFF. NO ASSOCIATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE ATTITUDES OF GIRLS TOWARD THEIR PEERS AND TOWARD STAFF. THE STUDY SHOWED THAT ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF THE GIRLS HAD NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD DISCHARGE. THERE WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ATTITUDE TOWARD SELF AND TOWARD STAFF. DATA SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE STAFF WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LENGTH OF STAY AT THE INSTITUTION. APPENDED MATERIAL INCLUDES SAMPLES OF THE MATERIALS USED IN THE STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)