Life Plans of Convicts Serving Sentences in the General Regime Correctional Facility
Ganishina I.S., Rusakov S.V. Life plans of convicts serving sentences in the general regime correctional facility. Penitentiary Science, 2022, vol. 16, no. 2 (58), pp. 213–219. doi:10.46741/2686-9764.2022.58.2.011
Introduction: the research is relevant due to the importance of studying life plans of convicts serving sentences in correctional facilities of general regime. The article considers results of this study. Near, medium-term, and long-term life plans of convicts are analyzed. Stages of serving sentences (initial, middle, final) are highlighted. The theoretical and empirical research is based on the classification of V.G. Deev as upgraded by A.V. Napris. The empirical study was conducted at the correctional facility of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia No. 6 in the Ryazan Oblast. The sample size is 70 men. Purpose: to study life plans of convicts serving sentences in the general regime correctional facility and identify their correlation with stages of serving sentences. Methods: observation, survey, testing (“Self-assessment of life plans” by A.V. Napris (a modified version of the test “Self-assessment of orientation” by V.G. Deev). Practical significance of the research: the study of life plans of convicts serving sentences in places of deprivation of liberty, conducted with the purpose of further elaboration of a program for forming life plans of convicts and its use in the work of penitentiary psychologists. Results: the empirical study shows that convicts can be conditionally divided into three groups: those with near life plans (24.3%); with medium-term life plans (28.6%); with long-term life plans (47.1%). The majority of convicts with near life plans (24.3%) are at the initial stage of serving sentences (0–1 years) and have low self-esteem. They are characterized by stubbornness, passivity, lack of initiative, inclination to conflict, distrust, closeness in communication and loss of the meaning of their own lives. Getting into a correctional institution, they fall into the rigid framework of internal regulations, withdraw into themselves, and therefore hardly adapt to the new environment, having only near life plans. Most convicts with mid-term life plans (28.6%) are at the middle stage of serving sentences (1–3 years) and have adequate self–esteem. They have traits of character, such as impulsivity, demonstrativeness, conflict, unpredictability, sensitivity to criticism and remarks. Convicted groups admit their mistakes and are not afraid to make them, they strive to realize midterm life plans, but at the same time they are frivolous about the future. The vast majority of convicts with long-term life plans are at the final stage of serving sentences (3–9 years) and have inflated self-esteem. They are characterized by optimism, sociability, demonstrativeness. Conclusions: the empirical research analysis demonstrates that life plans (near, medium-term, and long-term) of convicts depend on the stages of serving sentences (initial, middle, final). In this regard, there is a need for prison psychologists to study and consider convicts’ life plans.
Keywords: convicts; life plans; self-assessment of life plans; empirical research; places of deprivation of liberty; correctional facility.
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