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Working at the social-clinical-community-criminology interface: The GMU Inmate Study
June Price Tangney1, Debra Mashek, Jeffrey Stuewig
1George Mason University.
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
|September 28, 2011
Summary
This study found that criminogenic beliefs and guilt proneness predict re-offense in jail inmates. Jail programs may reduce these beliefs and improve guilt, potentially aiding post-release desistance.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Public Health
Background:
- Social-personality theory and research on moral emotions and cognitions are applied to crime, substance abuse, and HIV risk behavior.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of criminal behavior is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive power of criminogenic beliefs and guilt proneness on re-offense rates in jail inmates.
- To examine the potential impact of jail programs and services on moral emotions and cognitions.
- To lay the groundwork for testing a mediational model of desistance.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of jail inmates during incarceration and post-release.
- Analysis of criminogenic beliefs and proneness to guilt as predictors of re-offense.
- Assessment of the effects of jail programs and services on moral cognitions and emotions.
Main Results:
- Criminogenic beliefs and proneness to guilt were found to be predictive of re-offense after jail release.
- Evidence suggests that jail programs and services may reduce criminogenic beliefs and enhance adaptive guilt.
Conclusions:
- Moral emotions and cognitions play a significant role in criminal behavior and post-release outcomes.
- Jail-based interventions targeting moral development show promise for reducing recidivism.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mediational pathways between programs, moral factors, and desistance.
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