The Assessment of the Social Climates of Correctional Institutions

Abstract

This article describes the development of a Social Climate Scale, which differentiates between the social climates of correc tional institutions. An initial form of the scale was given to resi dents and staff in sixteen correctional units, including educational and vocational training schools, juvenile halls, and boys' camps. The second form of the scale consists of items which significantly differentiated between units for residents and for staff. This form includes twelve subscales—e.g., spontaneity, support, affiliation, aggression, variety, and autonomy—each of which measures the emphasis on one dimension of institutional climate. Profiles that compare the average resident perceptions of different units were constructed. The importance of developing measures of psycho logical environments and implications relating to the individual- environment fit are discussed.