Date of Award
4-19-2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Criminal Justice
First Advisor
Dr. Timothy Brezina - Committee Chair
Second Advisor
Dr. Mark Reed - Committee Member
Third Advisor
Dr. Sue Carter Collins - Committee Member
Abstract
Despite the importance of offenders’ perspectives of the criminal justice system, inmates’ perceptions of prison life remain largely unexplored in correctional research. In the current study, data were analyzed from a survey of approximately 700 incarcerated felons, focusing on their perceptions regarding the perceived difficulty or severity of prison. The correlates of these perceptions were examined, as well as the impact of such perceptions on inmates’ intentions to avoid crime after release. The findings suggest that, while most inmates perceive prison life as difficult, a sizeable proportion of inmates do not find prison time to be overly difficult or severe. Further, inmates who do not view prison as difficult are less likely to report intentions to avoid crime after release. Implications for deterrence theory and future research are discussed.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1357730
Recommended Citation
Crank, Beverly Reece, "Adapting to Incarceration: Inmate Perceptions of Prison Life and Adjustment." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1357730