NCJ Number
7341
Date Published
1966
Length
361 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF SOCIAL PROCESSES LEADING TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF TWELVE LABELED PSYCHOPATHS ATTEMPTING TO REINTEGRATE INTO CONVENTIONAL SOCIETY WHILE ON PAROLE.
Abstract
THE DATA INDICATED THAT PREINSTITUTIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS HELD LITTLE PREDICTIVE POWER FOR SUCCESS-FAILURE OUTCOME, SUCCESSES AND FAILURE ALIKE ADMITTED TO PAROLE AGREEMENT VIOLATIONS, ALL BUT ONE SUBJECT MANIFESTED SYMPTOMATIC BEHAVIOR PATTERNS ALLEGEDLY INDICATIVE OF PSYCHOPATHY, AND ALL BUT TWO OF THE SUBJECTS HELD NEGATIVE ATTITUDES INDICATIVE OF NONIDENTIFICATION WITH CONVENTIONAL NORMS. SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION INTO THE CONVENTIONAL SOCIAL SYSTEM WAS DEPENDENT UPON THE ROLE-PLAYING SKILLS OF THE INDIVIDUAL PAROLEE IN DENYING OR RATIONALIZING DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND THE TOLERATION OR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS DENIAL OR RATIONALIZATION BY THE PAROLE OFFICER. IT IS ALSO DEPENDENT UPON THE INTERVENTION OF THE PAROLEE'S FAMILY OR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS TO INSULATE OR ISOLATE HIM FROM THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ANY FAILURE-PRODUCING EVENTS THAT OCCUR, AND THE PERSISTENT PRESENTATION OF A CONVENTIONAL WORKER-ROLE CONTEXT. FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE PRECEDING SUCCESS-PRODUCING FACTORS WERE NOT AVAILABLE OR WERE NOT UTILIZED BY THE PAROLEE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)