PRE-RELEASE TRAINING OF FEMALE PUBLIC OFFENDERS

Slmtmafy.-This study assessed the effect of pre-release training on the personalities of 16 incarcerated female inmares of Mississippi State Penitentiary. Pre- and post-training 16 PFs were administered to these inmates and controls. Analysis of covariance gave significant differences between groups on Factors B (Less Intelligent-More Intelligent), E ( Humble-Assertive) , F (Sober-HappyGO-Lucky) , G (Expedient-Conscientious) , 0 ( Placid-Apprehensive) , Q3 (Undisciplined-controlled) , and Q, ( Relaxed-Tense) . Also. a significant difference was noted for Introversion-Extroversion. Cross-validation is needed. Prior to release from Mississippi State Penitentiary, women inmates are transferred to the Women's Pre-release Center for personal and vocational adjustment training. Participation includes an attitude course, driver's education, cooking and sewing classes, and ocher classes such as birth control, family health, child care, budgeting money, planning meals, drug abuse, applying for jobs, and personal grooming. The women are given much more freedom than rhey had at the Women's Camp and responsibilities with minimal supervision. They are also counseled in private and group sessions. There is interaction between inmates and staff. The matron and her husband provide a family atmosphere to the Center and portray a "mother-father" role model which most of the women have not experienced prior to incarceration. Such pre-release training is based on the idea chat one who has the skills and knowledge for work and interpersonal relationships will make a better adjustment outside the institutional setting. One must fulfill his needs and goals by behavior accepted by society (7). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess whether pre-release training helped prepare women for life outside of this institution. Positive change in the personality of these female offenders was expected. A review of the literature showed that personality traiu of female offenders are difterent from those of nonoffenders and that incarceration is not effective in promoting change of personality. For example, groups of delinquent females have shown more negative self-concepts than nondelinquent females (4, 5, 6, 8). Further, Dea (3) concluded chat one effect of incarceration was to depress positive concepts of self and to strip the person of self-identity. Brown (1) found that younger delinquent girls shifted to a distrustful and nondependent view of self after incarceration, and Newberg (7) concluded that incarceration did not produce positive personality change. Ss were 16 female inmates at Mississippi State Penitentiary; 8 were inmates eligible for 2-mo. pre-release training on the basis of their proposed release date and 8 were controls randomly selected from all other inmates. No attempt was made to match Ss on variables such as age, race, sentence, education, intelligence, etc. Pretest and posrtest 16 PFs (2) were given. When 20 comparisons were made between posaest 16 PF scores using analysis of covariance, with pretest scores as the covariate, significant dif'J. T. B. at Student Personnel and Counselor Education; S. D. C. ac Women's Pre-re!ease Center; G. W. at Bureau of Education Research.