A consistent finding in the research literature on correctional institution escape is that Black inmates have significantly lower escape rates than White inmates. Despite the potential significance of this finding to understanding prison escape behavior and prison behavior in general, no systematic exploration of this phenomenon has been reported. This research study attempted to remedy this deficiency. A problem hampering the study of escape is that no real theoretical perspective on escape behavior has emerged. To overcome this problem, the theoretical framework from the research on "prisonization" was adapted for this study. This framework uses three concepts, importation, deprivation or an interaction between the two, to explain why "prisonization" occurs. / In this research, race plus nine additional independent variables which had shown a fairly consistent relationship with escape were selected for use. Variables established outside the correctional institution to which the inmate was confined were placed into the importational model. Variables established inside the correctional institution were placed into the deprivational model. The combined model was represented by all the independent variables. Specific hypotheses were constructed for each independent variable/escape relationship and were tested in both a bivariate and multivariate format. Results of these testings found escapees to be more frequently White, married, older, convicted of a property crime (nonviolent), in a lower custody status, having had fewer furloughs and with a prior escape history. / Utilizing multiple regression techniques, the second facet of the analysis examined the three models, importational, deprivational and combinational, to see which provided the best explanation of escape. While both the importational and deprivational models provided significant amounts of explained variance in escape, the combinational model provided a significantly better explanation than either the importational or deprivational model. This result suggests that variables established both inside and outside the institution are important when considering escape. The results also indicate that as a group, the imported characteristics carry more weight in terms of escape, but that the inmate's custody level plays a significant role in determining who will escape. / The third portion of the analysis extended the same techniques to examine the differences between White and Black inmates' escape behavior. Results indicated that while all six of the independent variables of the combinational model were significant for Black inmates in terms of escape, two of these variables, marital status and number of furloughs, were not significant for White inmates. Further examination of the independent variable rankings revealed the variables to have a different order of importance to Blacks and Whites in terms of escape. For Black inmates, the most important variable in relation to escape behavior was the type of conviction offense (violent or nonviolent). For White inmates the most important variable was the inmate's prior escape record. The importance of custody level for both groups was emphasized by the fact that it ranked second in importance for Blacks and Whites. Age and conviction offense ranked third and fourth for White inmates, while prior escapes and age ranked third and fourth in importance for Black inmates. The inmate's number of furloughs and marital status ranked fifth and sixth, but were not significant for White inmates. Age and number of furloughs ranked fifth and sixth for Black inmates and were both significant. Results also revealed that what happens inside the institution are more important to White inmates in terms of escape. Possible reasons for these findings were discussed, along with their implications. Recommendations for further study are also given. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1325. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74431 |
| Contributors | COWLES, ERNEST LEE., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 149 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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