Prisoners’ gang-related activity: the importance of bullying and moral disengagement

Abstract

Gang-related activity can have a significant impact on the effective management of prisons in the UK, yet little is known about the characteristics of the prisoners involved. In this study, 141 adult male prisoners’ gang-related activity was examined in relation to their bullying behaviour and use of moral disengagement. Results showed that prisoners most involved in gang-related activity were likely to have spent a longer total time in the prison system, be perpetrators of bullying and have high levels of moral disengagement. Findings also show that moral disengagement partially mediates the relationship between bullying and gang-related activity. Implications for treatment programmes and the prison estate are discussed.     

论行刑社会化中的我国社区矫正制度

明确我国社区矫正的对象及管辖范围,确立司法行政机关执法主体的法律地位,加强社区矫正人员的队伍建设,全面规范矫正方法,实行差别化的矫正管理,乃是完善当前我国社区矫正制度的重要任务。     

试论监狱行刑的善恶选择

监狱行刑善恶或道德行为选择,是监狱行刑者在一定的善恶观念支配下,在监狱行刑活动中对涉及服刑罪犯执行刑罚或相关利益的行为的自觉自愿抉择,其选择需要具备外在的可能性、内在的可能性以及行为选择能力的必备条件。当下我国监狱行刑善恶选择的现状积极变化和消极变化都很突出,究其原因,既有来自宏观的社会原因,又有出自监狱干警的职业特点和干警自身的因素,目前的状况,使得监狱干警进行善恶或道德选择处于一种两难状态,即陷入了道德困境,如何走出困境?从根本上说,走出困境必须依靠人们包括监狱干警改造社会的实践活动和道德境界及选择能力的提高。在监狱行刑活动实践中,要正确进行善恶选择,监狱干警职业道德建设要把提升干警善恶选择水平作为着力点。     

ROLE STRESS, CUSTODY ORIENTATION, AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

Shifting correctional philosophies and institutional policies concerning the handling and control of inmates have contributed to experiences of role stress among prison guards. The present study, based on questionnaire responses of 144 prison guards from a maximum security prison, suggests that role stress is resolved by an intensified commitment to the custodial role. A major consequence of this is a higher rate of disciplinary reports filed by the guards. Apparently, an increased custody orientation disposes guards to a pattern of closer surveillance and control of the inmate population. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications of our findings for guardinmate relationships and for the administration of justice in the prison setting.     

Can college courses in prison cut crime after release? A review of follow-up studies of prison higher education and recidivism

This paper discusses empirical findings and theories about prison higher education and recidivism. The research designs of available evaluations of prison higher education are discussed. Their results in regard to arrest and return to prison after release are presented in tables and figures. Both opportunity theory and moral development theory have been used to justify such prison programs as crime prevention measures. A critical examination of the actual findings of the evaluations carried out up to now suggests that prison higher education may have had only a slight impact on recidivism. One could, therefore, doubt the value of opportunity theory and moral development theory to justify prison higher education as a crime control measure. However, the methods used in the evaluations of this program have been generally weak. Thus, there is a continuing need to carry out well-designed research on this question. The findings of follow-up studies of prison higher education have significance for issues of correctional education policy as well as criminological theory.     

ALIENATION IN PRISON

This article focuses on alienation among prison guards by examining the nature of the work relations between guards and fellow guards, inmates, and prison administrators. Data for the project were derived from both questionnaire and interview sources. The independent effects of the three forms of work relations on five types of alienation were assessed through an examination of standardized regression coefficients estimated from a fully recursive model of the variable relationships. We found that negative evaluations of work relations resulted in increased levels of alienation experienced by guards.     

暂予监外执行的本质：功利人道与公正人道的统一——兼论我国暂予监外执行制度的完善

暂予监外执行是本应在监禁机构行刑的犯罪人暂时变更到监禁机构外进行刑罚执行，其本质特征应为行刑人道主义，行刑人道主义分为功利的人道与公正的人道两种不同理念。建议我国暂予监外执行制度变更为暂停监禁刑罚执行制度。在构建我国暂停监禁刑罚执行制度中，遇到保护个体的功利人道与保障社会整体的公正人道冲突时，应做出保障个体功利人道的价值选择。     

Moral disengagement and self-reported harassment proclivity in men: the mediating effects of moral judgment and emotions

Three online studies investigated the association between moral disengagement and men’s self-reported harassment proclivity. Participants (total N?=?336) were required to read a vignette depicting either quid pro quo harassment (studies 1 and 2) or hostile work environment harassment (study 3). A salience manipulation was used in each study to explore the causal directionality of this association. The mediating effects of moral judgment, negative affect (guilt and shame) and positive affect (happiness) about the harassment were also assessed as participants were asked to imagine themselves as the harassment perpetrator. Across the three studies, it was shown that moral disengagement had an indirect effect in predicting men’s proclivity to harass by lowering their moral judgment and negative affect about the harassment, conversely amplifying positive affect. Overall, the findings support social cognitive theory, indicating that moral disengagement may enable people to self-regulate their own behavioural inclinations to harass.     

THE EXERCISE OF POWER IN COERCIVE ORGANIZATIONS: A STUDY OF PRISON GUARDS*

If the power of prison guards has been altered and reduced by recent social, legal, and bureaucratic instructions in American prisons, as has been reported by many observers, then what is the base of power by which guards currently exert control over prisoners? Following a discussion of the bases of power in prison, data from a survey of guards in five prisons are examined to determine the extent to which each power base is viewed as a resource to gain prisoner compliance. The results are discussed in terms of the guards’exercise of control within the increasingly bureaucratic structure of coercive organizations.     

略论监狱亚文化——从考察罪犯群体的角度

在目前的刑罚执行过程中.监狱亚文化对行刑工作产生了一定的负面影响,监狱亚文化有其产生的原因、特有的表现形式及特点.遏制、消解监狱亚文化从监狱管理体制、行刑机制、文化建设等方面进行改革,方能有效.     

Imprisoned knowledge: Criminals' beliefs about deception

Purpose. This paper is a survey examining beliefs about cues to deception held by prison inmates, prison personnel and students. In line with the ideas about more beneficial learning structures in the environment of criminals and findings from previous studies, we predicted that the beliefs held by prison inmates would be most consistent with the general pattern found in studies examining objective cues to deception. Method. A total of 326 participants filled out a questionnaire containing questions about cues to deception. The sample consisted of 107 prison inmates from high‐security prisons, 103 prison personnel and 116 students. Both between‐group and within‐group analyses were conducted. Results. In line with previous surveys, students and prison personnel held stereotypical and wrongful beliefs about cues to deception. Prison inmates' beliefs about deception were less stereotypical than the beliefs of prison personnel and students. Conclusions. The results indicate that prison inmates have relatively more insight into the psychology of deception. A reasonable explanation for these findings is that the environment of criminals is beneficial in the sense that they receive more adequate outcome feedback than the other two groups. The results indicate that studying this group may generate useful knowledge about the dynamics of deception.     

PRISON GUARDS AND THE USE OF PHYSICAL COERCION AS A MECHANISM OF PRISONER CONTROL*

This paper examines the dynamics of the use of unofficial force by prison guards in a Texas penitentiary. The findings suggest that rather than being idiosyncratic or sporadic, guard use of physical coercion was highly structured and deeply entrenched in the guard subculture Upperranking guards served as mentors and socialized younger nonmnking guards into the process of using physical coercion. These nonranking guards actually served as apprentices. Most importantly, guards who used physical force were rewarded for their behavior with improved duty posts or even promotions.     

从五因素交互作用论看德育的作用

从总体上看影响个体心理形成与发展的因素是遗传、成熟、环境、教育和主体性,这五个因素在个体不同成长阶段扮演不同角色.从五因素交互作用论看德育的作用可以得出三个结论:(1)德育是将自然人变成有德性的社会人的重要途径与手段;(2)在个体稳定人格形成前妥善开展德育的效果最佳;(3)紧紧抓住主体性这个重要中介变量的德育效果最佳.     

论完善对监狱行刑的监督

监狱是自由刑行刑的主要场所。基于刑罚的目的的二元性,监狱兼有惩罚与矫正的双重行刑目标。同时监狱行刑作为特殊的行政权力,具有被滥用的高危风险。为了完整实现行刑目的,保障服刑人员的权利,各国均对监狱的行刑权力设置了相应监督机制,对极易被滥用的行刑权力进行规制。在我国由于报应观念的深植和行刑个别化社会化色彩不强,尤需借鉴先进经验完善对监狱的监督,以确保罪犯改造的效果和行刑程序公正。     

Moral disengagement: relation to delinquency and independence from indices of social dysfunction

This article explores the relations of moral disengagement with several legal, institutional, and demographic characteristics of young offenders held in custody. The sample consisted of 152 randomly selected male young offenders from the largest young offenders' institution in Scotland. The age of the sample ranged from 16 to 21 (M = 18.9, SD =1.3). The respondents took part in a structured interview asking about several sociodemographic characteristics, and they completed the Moral Disengagement Scale. The sample in the study scored significantly higher on moral disengagement in comparison to a community sample. Higher moral disengagement was related to the offenders' families receiving help from a social worker; the expectation of an unstable living situation after custody; drug use before custody; and intention of drug use after custody. However, the lack of relation of moral disengagement to most of the social, family, school, employment, legal, and lifestyle characteristics of the sample suggests that moral disengagement is an independent variable exerting an influence on juvenile delinquent behavior over and above the social characteristics of juvenile delinquents.     

PRISON GUARDS' ATTITUDES TOWARD COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Only recently has there been very much interest in prison guards, their behavior, or their attitudes. Although prisons and their prisoners have been the subject of many investigations, the keepers have been overlooked. This article reports guards’attitudes toward the criminal justice system and suggests what these attitudes may mean.     

An Examination of Social-Psychological Factors and Support for the Death Penalty: Attribution, Moral Disengagement, and the Value-Expressive Function of Attitudes

This study examines the social-psychological factors of attributional styles, moral disengagement, and the value-expressive function of attitudes in relation to death penalty support and the robustness of that support. Respondents were first asked whether or not they supported the death penalty and were then presented several paragraphs of information exposing flaws or failures in the death penalty and asked how compelling they found the information and whether it impacted their death penalty attitudes. Results suggest that attributional style has little if any effect on death penalty support and that only a few aspects of moral disengagement seem to play a role. Value-expressiveness, on the other hand, appears to play a critical role in death penalty attitudes and support. Our findings suggest that when support is based on value-expressive foundations, it is more robust and unlikely to wane regardless of information or knowledge indicating problems with the death penalty.     

新世纪大学生道德素质培养探索

当今高校教育中最令人困惑和不安的也许就是道德教育,而高校道德教育的困境无疑是多方面因素造成的。既有诸如社会环境、教育导向等外在的原因,又有道德教育观念陈旧、方法不当等内因,而后者则是矛盾的主要方面。因此,前瞻21世纪高校道德教育,必须更新观念,创新体系,以人为本,塑造受教育者的主体人格,尊重受教育者的主体地位,发展受教育者的主体能力。必须贯彻“知行并重”,重在践行的原则。     

Is child saving dead? Attitudes toward juvenile rehabilitation in Illinois

In recent times, juvenile rehabilitation has been attacked both by liberals seeking to insert greater due process rights and protections into the juvenile justice system and by conservatives calling for more stringent handling of serious youthful offenders. The apparent pervasiveness of this attack raises the question, Is the philosophy of child saving dead? Data drawn from a survey conducted in Illinois suggest, however, that juvenile rehabilitation continues to receive support both from the public and from various groups associated with criminal justice practice and policy making. At the same time, there is also support for the notion that young criminals are responsible for their actions and are currently being treated too leniently by our courts. Finally, child saving is embraced most firmly by judges, lawyers, correctional administrators, and prison inmates and least strongly by legislators, prison guards, and the general public.     

Young Offenders’ Decisions to Re-offend as A Breakdown of Self-Regulation of Hierarchically Organised Feedback Loops: The Role of Moral Disengagement in Formulating Decisions to Re-offend

The present paper examines young offenders’ decisions to re-offend, as a function of a breakdown of self-regulation, as represented by moral disengagement. There were 152 male inmates randomly selected from the largest young offender institution in Scotland and were asked to fill-in a moral disengagement scale and a questionnaire which assessed their cognitive representations. It was found that moral disengagement was neither related to frequency of offending nor age of initiation of delinquent behaviour. Moral disengagement was significantly related to attitudes, perceived behavioural control and intentions to offend in the future. Moral disengagement contributed to the prediction of intentions when the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was operationalised through the direct measurement of the constructs of the model, although such did not contribute to the prediction of intentions when the constructs were operationalised by indirect, belief-based measurements of the constructs of the model. A model is proposed in terms of self-regulation of hierarchically organised feedback loops. Attitudes and perceived behavioural control are operating at the level of program control, as a function of disengagement of moral principles at the level of principles control.