Characteristics Of Adaptability Of Junior Penal Staff Members

Abstract

Although it is universally known that the success of adaptation of junior staff members to the penal system environment influences their whole further career, specific characteristics of adaptation to working conditions in law enforcement agencies in general and in penitentiary establishments in particular have not been sufficiently studied yet. The research was conducted in four stages (N=295): desktop analysis, ascertaining experiment, forming experiment and data analysis. The research comprised theoretical methods in the form of an analysis of literature on psychology and education and compilation of the findings, empirical methods in the form of an ascertaining and a forming experiment, testing and an analysis of documents and personnel records, and psychodiagnostic methods in the form of the Prediction technique used to evaluate mental toughness and the risk of disadaptation under stress developed by the Kirov Military Medical Academy, and Gerchikov's Labour Motivation Test. The statistical analysis of test results was conducted with the application of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test in the IBM SPSS Statistics software. A special training programme was used as the main method of correction (10 meetings of 40-50 minutes twice a week). The purpose of the correction was to relieve mental strain and improve labour motivation in adaptation to working conditions. The training resulted in higher average levels of emotional stability, normative behaviour, hardiness and diplomacy as well as in lower levels of aggressiveness, intemperance, suspiciousness, anxiety, conservatism, conformity and slackness. Moreover, the average self-esteem became more adequate.