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PREDICTION OF PAROLEE BEHAVIOR UTILIZING THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND INMATE AND STAFF JUDGMENTS FOR DELINQUENT GIRLS IN A STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

NCJ Number
25602
Author(s)
H N LEVE
Date Published
1972
Length
96 pages
Annotation
AN ATTEMPT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE FEMALE DELINQUENT RECIDIVIST, NON-RECIDIVIST PAROLE VIOLATOR, AND NON-RECIDIVIST NON-VIOLATOR OF PAROLE BY USING THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND STAFF AND INMATE PREDICTIONS.
Abstract
THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL WAS ADMINISTERED TO FORTY-THREE PAROLEES OF THE INDIANA GIRLS' SCHOOL IN 1961. PREDICTOR QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF THE STAFF AND INMATES WHO PERSONALLY INTERACTED WITH OR MADE DECISIONS FOR EACH PAROLEE, AS WELL AS TO THE PAROLEES, THEMSELVES. AFTER SIX MONTHS, PAROLE OFFICERS CLASSIFIED THE PAROLEES AS RECIDIVISTS, NON-RECIDIVIST PAROLE VIOLATORS, OR NON-RECIDIVIST NON-VIOLATORS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS USED TO DETERMINE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY. THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL WAS NOT FOUND TO PREDICT SIGNIFICANTLY PAROLE OUTCOME. FOUR CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE TO WHOM QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SUBMITTED WERE FOUND TO PREDICT PAROLE OUTCOME. THESE WERE TEACHERS, HOUSEMOTHERS, TWO STAFF MEMBERS SPECIFIED BY THE PAROLEE AS KNOWING HER WELL, AND TWO INMATES, LIKEWISE SPECIFIED BY THE PAROLEE. STATISTICAL INFORMATION AND COPIES OF THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND QUESTIONNAIRES ARE INCLUDED.