Predictors of prison adjustment amongst male incarcerated offenders in a private maximum-security correctional centre
English: Offenders adjust to incarceration in different ways. When adjusting to a highly structured, austere and unique maximum-security correctional centre, this adjustment process is further compounded. The aim of this research was to determine which variables are the best predictors of correctional adjustment amongst male incarcerated offenders in a private maximum-security correctional centre in South Africa. The subsequent purpose of the research was to determine how male offenders with different coping strategies, aggression levels, perceived social support, ages, offender type classifications (first time offender vs repeat offender) and sentence lengths adjust to incarceration in a private maximum-security correctional centre. The conceptualisation of this research was based on existing literature albeit very little prior research could be contextualised due to the very distinctive private, maximum-security correctional system in South Africa. N=418 offenders voluntarily participated in this study and the Prison Adjustment Questionnaire was used to measure the offenders’ Internal (uncomfortableness around other offenders, correctional staff, anger and trouble sleeping), External (heated arguments and fights with other offenders and correctional staff) and Physical Adjustment (frequency of illness, injury, fear of being attacked and taken advantage of). This study was the first South African research endeavour that made use of the PAQ. The PAQ indicated good internal consistencies and this validates the use of the instrument on a sample of male incarcerated offenders in a private, maximum-security correctional centre in South Africa. Participants conveniently situated within pockets of the correctional centre, such as the school, the skills development workshops and social work group sessions were invited to participate in this study. The results of this study indicated that offenders’ Internal and External Adjustment were predicted by a number of variables used in this study and these findings were of medium practical importance. Firstly, the combination of Friends and Avoidance Coping significantly predicted an offenders’ Internal Adjustment. The combination of Friends, Avoidance Coping and Problem-Solving also significantly predicted and explained 12.4% of the variance in the Internal Adjustment of offenders and the results were of medium practical importance. Furthermore, the combination of Anger and Friends significantly predicted the offenders External Adjustment. The combination of three predictor variables namely Anger, Friends and Verbal Aggression significantly predicted and explained 11.2% of the variance in the External Adjustment of the offenders and the results were of medium practical importance. None of the identified independent variables (coping strategies, aggression levels, perceived social support, age, offender type classification or sentence length) that predicted the Physical Adjustment of the offenders were of any practical importance. More research on offender adjustment to private, maximum-security correctional centres in South Africa is required to validate these findings.
Afrikaans: Misdadigers pas op verskillende maniere aan by opsluiting in die gevangenis. Die aanpassingsproses word verder bemoeilik, aangesien aanpassing moet geskied by ʼn hoogs gestruktureerde, streng en unieke maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om te bepaal watter veranderlikes die beste voorspellers is van aanpassing by die gevangenis onder manlike misdadigers wat opgesluit is in ʼn privaat maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis in Suid-Afrika. Die daaropvolgende doel van die navorsing was om te bepaal hoe manlike misdadigers met verskillende hantering strategieë, aggressie-vlakke, waargenome sosiale ondersteuning, ouderdomme, misdadiger klassifikasie (eerste oortreder teenoor herhaalde oortreder) en vonnislengte aanpas by opsluiting in ʼn privaat maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis. Die konseptualisering van die navorsing is gebaseer op bestaande literatuur, alhoewel baie min vorige navorsing gekonseptualiseer kon word vanweë die uiters besondere sisteem van die privaat maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis in Suid-Afrika. N=418 misdadigers het vrywillig aan die studie deelgeneem en die Gevangenis-Aanpassing-Vraelys (Prison Adjustment Questionnaire) is gebruik om die misdadigers se Interne (ongemak by ander oortreders, gevangenispersoneel, aggressie en sukkel met slaap), Eksterne (hewige argumente en gevegte met ander oortreders en gevangenispersoneel) en Fisiese Aanpassing (gereeldheid van siektes, beserings, vrees om aangeval te word en misbruik te word). Die studie was die eerste Suid- Afrikaanse navorsingspoging wat die PAQ gebruik het. Die PAQ het goeie interne konsekwenthede aangetoon en dit regverdig dus die gebruik van die meetinstrument op ʼn groep manlike misdadigers wat opgesluit is in ʼn privaat, maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis in Suid- Afrika. Deelnemers wat genooi is om deel te neem aan die studie was gerieflik gestasioneer binne groeperings in die gevangenis, soos byvoorbeeld die skool, vaardigheidsontwikkeling-werkswinkels en maatskaplike werk groepsessies. Die resultate van die studie het aangetoon dat oortreders se Interne en Eksterne Aanpassing voorspel kan word deur ʼn aantal veranderlikes wat in hierdie studie gebruik is en hierdie bevindinge was van medium praktiese belang. Eerstens, die kombinasie van Vriende en Vermyding Hantering het beduidend ʼn oortreder se Interne Aanpassing voorspel. Die kombinasie van Vriende, Vermyding Hantering en Probleemoplossing het ook beduidend 12.4% van die variansie in die Interne Aanpassing van oortreders voorspel en verduidelik en die resultate was van medium praktiese belang. Verder, die kombinasie van Woede en Vriende het misdadigers se Eksterne Aanpassing beduidend voorspel. Die kombinasie van drie voorspelling-veranderlikes naamlik Woede, Vriende en Verbale Aggressie het 11.2% van die variansie in die Eksterne Aanpassing van oortreders voorspel en verduidelik en die resultate was van medium praktiese belang. Geeneen van die geïdentifiseerde onafhanklike veranderlikes (hantering strategieë, aggressie-vlakke, waargenome sosiale ondersteuning, ouderdom, misdadiger klassifikasie of vonnislengte) wat die Fisiese Aanpassing van oortreders voorspel, was van enige belang nie. Meer navorsing oor die aanpassing van misdadigers in privaat, maksimum-sekuriteit gevangenis in Suid-Afrika is nodig ten einde die bevindinge te bekragtig.