Correctional Institutions Environment Scale Research Articles

Measuring Social Climate in German Prisons Using the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema

Sociotherapeutic prison units have been criticized for their close operational connection with traditional prison systems. This research compared the social climate of German therapeutic prison units with that of traditional prison units, using the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES). The EssenCES was administered in conjunction with the shortened Correctional Institutions Environment Scale. Results indicate significant differences between therapeutic and traditional units’ social climates, with the former demonstrating more supportive, safe, and therapeutic climates. Findings further confirm the psychometric properties of the EssenCES and support its use as a social climate measurement instrument.

Social climate within secure inpatient services for people with intellectual disabilities

The social climate of inpatient facilities is thought to be an important contributor to treatment outcome. However, little research has focused on this construct within secure forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the social climate of two different types of secure units ('low' secure vs. 'medium' secure) contained within the same facility for offenders with ID. Two hypotheses were generated: (1) residents would rate the social climate of the whole facility in a more negative direction than staff, and (2) residents and staff would rate the social climate of the 'low' secure unit in a more positive direction than that of the 'medium' secure unit. Using a 2 (factor 'Participant' = Staff or Resident) x 2 (factor 'Unit' = 'Low' or 'Medium' Secure Unit) between-subjects design, 18 residents and 37 staff members were recruited and completed the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES), a measure of social climate. Residents tended to rate the units in a more positive direction than staff on some sub-scales. Participants rated the 'low' secure unit in a more positive direction than the 'medium' secure unit on two sub-scales of the CIES. However, on selected sub-scales there were differences. The findings of this study suggest that the CIES may be a valid instrument for use within forensic services for people with ID, and further suggests that residents and staff have different perceptions of the shared social climate, which may have implications for service development.

Social climate within an adolescent medium-secure facility.

The objectives of the study were to investigate the social climate of two different types of units (open vs. secure) contained within the same South London adolescent medium-secure facility. Two hypotheses were generated: (a) adolescents would rate the social climate of the whole facility in a more negative direction than staff and (b) adolescents and staff would rate the social climate of the open units in a more positive direction than the social climate of the secure units. 43 adolescents and 49 staff members from the open units and the secure units were recruited and completed the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES), a measure of social climate. Overall, adolescents tended to rate the facility in a more negative direction. All participants rated the open units in a more positive direction than secure units. However, on selected subscales there were differences. The findings of this study suggest that adolescents and staff may perceive their shared social climate differently. This may have implications for those attempting to develop positive social climates within secure services.

Evaluating Change in Social Climate in a Close Security State Correctional Facility

ABSTRACT Changes in the social climate of a correctional institution were evaluated with the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES; Moos, 1987). Assessment occurred prior to, and 22 months after, the employment of correctional treatment personnel who implemented numerous educational and rehabilitation-type programs. After the implementation of programs, there were changes in the inmates' perceptions of the correctional environment, and these changes, which were statistically significant, were in the predicted direction. Improved emphasis on the CIES Relationship, Treatment Program, and System Maintenance and Change dimensions were found (T2 = 69.66; F = 7.08; df = 9,86; p < .0001), thereby demonstrating the utility of environmental assessments and the impact of treatment programs on correctional climate.

Client-Counselor Similarity and the Client's Perception of the Treatment Environment

Two variables that are related to successful treatment outcome are counselor-client similarity and thc client's positive perception of the treatment environment. This study focused on the dynamic interaction of those two variables. The research question focused on whether client-counselor similarity has a significant influcncc on the client's perception of the treatment environment. The clients were institutionalized, female delinquent offenders. Using the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) to measure counselor-client similarity and the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES) to measure perceptions of Ihe treatment environmenl, the results indicated a significant association between counselor-client similarity on the Social Dimension oE the CPI and the client's ratings of the CIES Relationship Dimension. This finding indicates that similarity between counselor and client on the personality dimension that measures sociability, character, responsibility and intrapersonal values is significa...

Psychosocial Climate in Correctional Institutions

This article presents an attempt to find out whether supplementing the original nine subdimensions of the widely used Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES) with a few additional ones provides any significant new information about institutional climate. Three new subscales containing 39 items were developed. They were named Judiciary System, Socio-spatial Conditions, and Physical Environment Conditions. The instrument was administered to all 398 male residents in both a maximum and a minimum security correctional facility. The factor analysis showed that the new subscales were related to the same general factor as the original ones. The linear stepwise regression indicated that the Physical Environment Conditions and Socio-spatial Conditions subscales were superior to the six original ones in discriminating between the two very different penal institutions. The proposed nine subdimensions of the CIES seem to be neither the only nor the most distinctive attributes of the correctional social climate.

An Assessment of the Moos Correctional Institutions Environment Scale

The Correctional Institutions Environment Scale has become, in recent years, one of the most popular indicators of life within penal organizations. However, recent challenges by industrial psychologists to the validity of the concept of organizational social climate and the lack of theoretical specification associated with the concept raise important questions about the CIES. The instrument was designed to measure nine subscales which cluster into three primary dimensions. Review of Moos's developmental work does not indicate that these factors bear any relation to reality. This study was initiated to determine what the CIES actually measures. Contrary to Moos's claim, the subscales are found to be intercorrelated. Subsequent factor analyses do not provide substantial support for the subscale structure described by Moos. Rather, many of the questionnaire items are found to be unrelated to any other item, and a large amount of "noise" is found in the instrument. The items of the CIES are found to form three factors, but not the three primary dimensions suggested by Moos. These analyses, therefore, fail to validate the CIES. It is concluded that further theoretical specification concerning correctional climate is needed, and there must be significant modifications in the way the correctional environment is measured.

The Effects of High Density In A Juvenile Correctional Institution

In this study, the density of dormitories was manipulated to study the effects of density on social climate, interpersonal relations, and physiological responses. One hundred and fifteen male residents, 14 to 18 years old, were assigned to two dormitories of a large correctional institution in which density levels were systematically varied over 6-week periods. The design allowed exploration of social and spatial aspects of density. The effects of high and low density were assessed over a 6-month period using Moos' Correctional Institutions Environment Scale, a sociometric measure of the dorm, ratings by teachers, and bi-weekly measures of blood pressure. The MANACOVA results indicated that there were significant effects for social density, spatial density, and the interaction of spatial and social density. No effects for blood pressure were found. The results were congruent with Baum, Harpin, and Valins' control model and Altman's stimulus reduction model.

The Conceptualization and Measurement of the Social Climate of Correctional Organizations

The Correctional Institutions Environment Scale was developed by Rudolf Moos to assess the social climate within correctional organizations. This assessment, according to Moos, can be made in terms of nine separate subscales (involvement, support, expressiveness, autonomy, practical orientation personal problem orientation, order and organization, clarity, and staff control). This author, as well as others, questioned the existence and independence of the nine subscales. Factor analyses were performed on data obtained from the instrument in order to test the validity of the a priori scales. The findings of this study indicated that the CES actually measures four dimensions of social climate.

An instructional aid for courses in corrections: The correctional institutions environment scale

This paper describes the use of Moos’ (1974) Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES) as a supplemental instructional technique in criminal justice courses on corrections. Utilization of the CIES (Form I) provides students with feedback on their values and goal orientations toward correctional programs, and provides a means to organize class discussions on correctional environments. Sample CIES profiles of students are presented, and various instructional uses are delineated.

Co-Corrections Evaluation

Abstract A large-scale, nationwide evaluation of co-corrections was carried out in which a wide range of data was collected over a 4-month period including incident reports, the Correctional Institutions Environment Scale, and other measures of both inmate and staff attitudes as well as a plethora of background and behavioral measures. Preliminary analyses show that although there appears to be a decrement with increasing size, the co-correctional environment seems to be more facilitative of growth than the single-sex institutions. Evidence also points to the conclusion that co-correctional institutions are more humane and safer for both staff and inmates. Further, more extensive study with better controls is undoubtedly needed. Especially needed for comparison purposes and generalizability are minimum-security single-sex female institutions.

Social Climates in Prison: An Attempt to Conceptualize and Measure Environmental Factors in Total Institutions

The development and standardization of a testing instrument designed to assess social climates in correctional institutions is described. The Correctional Institutions Environment Scale (CIES) has 86 items, organized in nine scales. The first three scales assess people relationship dimensions, subscales four through six assess institutional program dimensions, and subscales seven through nine measure system maintenance dimensions. The administration of the test to groups takes less than 30 minutes. Norms of a national reference group are presented, and four unit profiles are shown as examples. Various possible uses of the CIES are discussed with special attention to the potential utility of the instrument for the institutional administrator.