NCJ Number
26588
Date Published
1975
Length
214 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE, TYPE OF INSTITUTION (MINIMUM, MEDIUM, OR MAXIMUM CUSTODY) AND INMATE INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT, PAROLE RECOMMENDATION, AND THE FIRST PAROLE DECISION.
Abstract
THE STUDY SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 547 INMATES DRAWN FROM THE TOTAL POPULATION OF MALE FIRST OFFENDERS 23 YEARS OF AGE AND UNDER WHO HAD BEEN ADMITTED TO, AND PAROLED OR DISCHARGED FROM ONE LARGE MIDWESTERN STATE PRISON SYSTEM BETWEEN 1969 AND 1972. THE ENTIRE POPULATION WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO STRATA, WHITE AND NON-WHITE, AND A SIMPLE RANDOM SAMPLE OF EQUAL PROPORTIONS WAS TAKEN USING THE TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS. A COMPARISON OF BLACK AND WHITE FIRST OFFENDERS REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ON INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT, HOWEVER, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, BLACKS WERE GENERALLY BETTER ADJUSTED THAN WHITES IN PRISON. WEAK TENDENCIES IN THE DATA ALSO REVEALED INTER-INSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES - INMATES AT MEDIUM CUSTODY INSTITUTIONS WERE RATE WELL ADJUSTED MORE OFTEN THAN THOSE AT MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CUSTODY INSTITUTIONS AND BLACKS WERE RATED BETTER ADJUSTED THAN WHITES AT THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CUSTODY INSTITUTIONS. RACE WAS FOUND TO BE MOST IMPORTANT IN RELATION TO RELEASE DECISIONS. STUDY RESULTS REVEALED THAT FEWER BLACKS THAN WHITES WERE RECOMMENDED FOR PAROLE AND THAT MORE BLACKS THAN WHITES WERE DENIED PAROLE. THESE RELATIONS WERE STRONGEST AT THE MORE CUSTODIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE ISSUE OF DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF RACIAL MINORITIES IN MODERN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND FOR CORRECTIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS TABULAR DATA ON THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY. A SIX-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS ALSO INCLUDED.