The study aimed at obtaining perspectives of social workers in working with the incarcerated population. Being that the incarcerated population may carry a stigma due to the crimes that they allegedly committed or have been convicted of committing, it comes to question if workers in the helping professions, such as social workers, that may be involved in the inmate’s rehabilitation process have any biases in working with this population. Participants in the study included members from the National Association of Social Workers California chapter (NASW CA). NASW CA was chosen as the most appropriate entity through which to gather perspectives of social workers with varying demographics. The study was comprised of a survey emailed out to NASW CA members from a list generated by NASW CA, and the data was collected on the Qualtrics application. The eight main survey questions consisted of statements that are rated using a 5-point Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The data was analyzed in the IBM SPSS v25 program. Participant demographics, including gender, ethnicity, age, years in field, and area of social work practice were also captured. The data was analyzed using descriptive and bivariate comparisons between specific participant demographics -such as gender (male/female) and ethnicity (white/non-white)- regarding their perspectives toward inmates. The survey was completed anonymously; termination was completed during the debriefing statement. There were 45 participants in the study. Participant demographics include: 1) 82% female and 18% male; 2) 42% identified as non-white and 58% as white; 3) 40% have worked in the social work field for 0-10 years and 60% have been in the field for more than 10 years; 4) 56% were between the ages of 18-45 and 44% were above 45 years old; 5) 40% have experience working in Child Welfare while the other 60% do not; and 6) 47% have direct experience working with inmates while 53% do not. Bivariate analyses revealed four statistically significant differences between specific demographic groups, including: 1) participants who do not have experience working in child welfare are more likely than those who do have experience to feel like they are putting themselves in danger by working with inmates; 2) participants who have 0-10 years’ experience in the field are more likely than those with more than 10 years’ experience to feel like they are putting themselves in danger by working with inmates; 3) participants who indicated an age above 45 years old are more likely than those under 45 years old to think that inmates have rights and should have access to services; and 4) participants who indicated having direct experience working with inmates were more likely to feel comfortable working with inmates than participants who do not have direct experience. There are implications for micro and macro social work practice, which include exposure to this population while in a social work program and further training in cultural competency to reduce bias toward this population and ensure full and equal access to social work services.

Dual-diagnosed female offenders (DDFOs) present direct care providers with complex psychosocial needs and challenges that result in a serious lack of motivation to attain, sustain, and continue treatment after release from prison. Unsuccessful treatment of DDFOs represents a significant public health and safety risk including continuing criminal acts, increased health care costs, accidents related to substance abuse, and poor reintegration. Through in-depth semistructured interviews with direct care providers, this phenomenological study's focus was on examining the motivational facilitators associated with treatment adherence, barriers to treatment adherence, and approaches for enhancing treatment motivation. Nine major themes emerged from this research, including the importance of an empathetic approach and a strong therapeutic alliance as motivational facilitators; lack of insight and acceptance of the need for treatment, lack of resiliency, and the role of external system factors in barriers to treatment adherence; and using an empathetic approach, building rapport, instilling hope, and avoiding confrontation as approaches for enhancing treatment motivation. These findings may inform theory and practice related to the treatment of DDFOs in U.S. prisons. These findings contribute to social change by identifying outcomes related to treatment attendance, continuity of care, and completion and may help reduce recidivism associated with DDFOs, decrease costs of care, and lower public risks such as accidents related to substance use. The study provides reference points that may inform recommendations to state correctional departments regarding effective programming strategies for DDFOs.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate response acquisition of Indian Ss relative to non-Indian Ss and to examine the relationships between questionnaire and performance data. A questionnaire, based on Harding's (1964) study, was used to evaluate Ss' attitudes towards work authority, aspirations, family and the like. Performance measures were also employed in order to provide data with which to assess whether attitudinal differences have significant behavioural consequences. In order to assess rural-urban biases, a paired-associate task similar to that designed by Havron and Cofer (1957) was used. An attempt was also made using a verbal conditioning technique (Taffel, 1955) to evaluate whether or not the two groups would perform differentially under positive and negative verbal reinforcement.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate response acquisition of Indian Ss relative to non-Indian Ss and to examine the relationships between questionnaire and performance data. A questionnaire, based on Harding's (1964) study, was used to evaluate Ss' attitudes towards work authority, aspirations, family and the like. Performance measures were also employed in order to provide data with which to assess whether attitudinal differences have significant behavioural consequences. In order to assess rural-urban biases, a paired-associate task similar to that designed by Havron and Cofer (1957) was used. An attempt was also made using a verbal conditioning technique (Taffel, 1955) to evaluate whether or not the two groups would perform differentially under positive and negative verbal reinforcement.

The aim of this investigation was to assess if there was a correlation between touch avoidance and hierarchical position, perceived degradation, number of years spent in jail and age amongst men at a correctional institution. In addition, a possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment was also explored. In the collection of the data a questionnaire containing 27 open and closed answer alternatives was utilized. A multiple regressional analysis was conducted to find possible correlations between touch avoidance and the other underlying variables. Also an independent t-test explored the possible effects of the control variables: place of birth and girlfriend. A correlational analysis was applied to investigate the other two control variables: physical and psychological abuse during childhood. An oneway-ANOVA-test was used to investigate the possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment. The results of the study showed that a high amount of degrading treatment, a low hierarchical position and the longer the time served correlated with a high degree of touch avoidance. Age proved to have no correlation with touch avoidance, which is contrary to previous research. Regarding the inmates’ hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment, a negative correlation was found; the higher hierarchical position an inmate had, the smaller was the amount of degrading treatment he was subjected to. Keywords: Touch avoidance, hierarchies, degrading treatment, inmates, prison

<p>The aim of this investigation was to assess if there was a correlation between touch avoidance and hierarchical position, perceived degradation, number of years spent in jail and age amongst men at a correctional institution. In addition, a possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment was also explored. In the collection of the data a questionnaire containing 27 open and closed answer alternatives was utilized. A multiple regressional analysis was conducted to find possible correlations between touch avoidance and the other underlying variables. Also an independent t-test explored the possible effects of the control variables: place of birth and girlfriend. A correlational analysis was applied to investigate the other two control variables: physical and psychological abuse during childhood. An oneway-ANOVA-test was used to investigate the possible correlation between hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment. The results of the study showed that a high amount of degrading treatment, a low hierarchical position and the longer the time served correlated with a high degree of touch avoidance. Age proved to have no correlation with touch avoidance, which is contrary to previous research. Regarding the inmates’ hierarchical position and the amount of perceived degrading treatment, a negative correlation was found; the higher hierarchical position an inmate had, the smaller was the amount of degrading treatment he was subjected to.</p><p>Keywords: Touch avoidance, hierarchies, degrading treatment, inmates, prison</p>

No description available.

The Indiana institutions are bursting at the seams. It has become necessary for local communities to keep nonviolent offenders in county jails or place them on probation. Correctional caseworkers are responsible for providing counseling to a significant number of juvenile and adult offenders; therefore, it is necessary that counselors in the criminal justice system examine any significant interpersonal behavior patterns of offenders.The purpose of the research was to identify the unique interpersonal needs behavior pattern of inmates incarcerated in an adult detention center and the ways in which these needs change from the point of initial incarceration. The ways in which the interpersonal needs of inmates deviate from and are similar to those of the general population also were identified. William C. Schutz's Fundamental Interpersonal Relations orientation--Behavior, was the testing instrument used for pre and post-testing of inmates.Chapter One justifies the study and previews the need for a study of this nature. Chapter Two is a review of existing literature which explores both advocates and detractors of Schutz's FIRO-B theory. Chapter Three discusses the method, subjects, testing site, testing procedures and testing instrument used in this research. Chapter Four incorporates results of the tests and discusses the inmate profiles developed through this research. Chapter Five summarizes the research, discusses possible Programs to be utilized by criminal justice practitioners, and makes recommendations for future research and application of FIRO-B. / Department of Speech Communication

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Cheng-Shun (Richard) Fang, Dept. of Health, Nutrition, & Exercise Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

Originally presented as the author's dissertation: Berlin, Freie Universiẗat, Diss., 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 314-345).