The influence of a shock incarceration program on inmate adjustment and attitudinal change

One of the goals of shock incarceration programs (SIPs) is to provide a dis ciplined environment that will reduce negative inmate behavior and influenc e positive adjustment and attitudinal change. This study compares inmates s erving time in a SIP (n=271) with inmates in a minimum-security traditional prison (n=106) and measures attitudinal change and inmate adjustment to th e institution over time. The results support prior research findings that s hock incarceration inmates. in general, tend to hold more positive attitude s and be better adjusted than traditional inmates during their incarceratio n. The results also indicate that, although shock incarceration inmates rem ain positive about their future throughout their imprisonment, they nonethe less experience some difficulty in adjustment, are inclined to become incre asingly less optimistic about the program during their sentence, and report attitudinal change related to specific program outcomes (i.e., work, drug use) similar to that of traditional inmates. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.