Connecticut prison officers exhibit substantial misperception of the beliefs and attitudes of their fellow officers. On each of eight hypothetical conflict situ ations, officers perceive their colleagues as being less sympathetic to inmates and treatment than they report themselves to be. Officers who hold sympa thetic attitudes are likely to see themselves as isolated from the officer group, whereas officers holding attitudes unsympathetic to inmates and treatment tend to view themselves as in the mainstream of opinion, regardless of the ma jority view. In addition, officers tend to perceive unanimity among their col leagues even when consensus is lacking. These findings have implications for officers and for public policy regarding prisons.

Prison Officers' Attitudes and Perceptions of Attitudes: A Case of Pluralistic Ignorance

The myth of the new female offender: Some evidence from attitudes toward law and justice

(1987). Rehabilitation in Justice. Journal of Offender Counseling Services Rehabilitation: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 5-19.

Rehabilitation in Justice: The Prisoner's Perspective.

The effect of legal aid on disadvantaged groups and particularly on prison inmates has rarely been investigated. The few existing studies suggest it has a more systematically positive effect than other prison services. This paper examines this effect on women inmates and finds that the provision of legal services seems to promote rehabilitation.

Advocacy and rehabilitation in women's prisons

/pdf/editorial-les-droits-des-detenu-e-s-devant-les-tribunaux-549pgc4aby.pdf

« Éditorial : les droits des détenu-e-s devant les tribunaux »

However, experience has shown that power is not limited to these aspects of the law. There is also power in the knowledge of law and in the access to its employment. This is demonstrated by the success of legal services to the poor and to other groups historically denied such access. Upon considering legal services, more is at stake than the principle of equality before the law. At issue are ancient sociological questions about the forces which constitute the social fabric. These are

/pdf/legal-services-prisoners-attitudes-and-rehabilitation-dfu1t4x79b.pdf

John M. Finney

Papers

Legal Services, Prisoners' Attitudes and Rehabilitation