The following 35 statements on this questionnaire represent opinions that some inmateshave about their experience in jail. Please read each statement‚ and circle a number thatshows the degree to which you agree or disagree with it. For example‚ circling #3 wouldindicate that you pretty much agree with it‚ whereas circling #8 would indicate you leantoward disagreeing with it as far as your personal experience is concerned.
1. Rehabilitation is possible for me in this jail.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
2. You can’t avoid trouble in jail because it comes looking for you.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
3. There is really no way I can relate to guards most of the time.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
4. Getting bonded out has more to do with luck than anything else.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
5. It seems no matter how hard I try the system won’t give an inch.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
6. I can’t get jail officials to notice when I do good.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
7. It makes little sense to plan in jail because you never know what will happen.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
8. Most of what happens to me in jail is out of my hands.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
9. In jail you can’t really think before you act.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
10. Violence in jail can not be avoided.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
11. Only the administration can solve the tensions that exist in jail.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
12. I can use almost any program to my advantage.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
13. A inmate is really in charge of his own fate.
14. I have very little influence over how much respect other inmates show me.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
15. How I act will influence how much respect guards show me.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
16. How soon I get released depends on how I act.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
17. I can take pretty good care of myself in jail.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
18. There are very few problems that come up in jail that I can’t handle.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
19. I can stop myself from getting down or depressed.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
20. There isn’t much I can do in this jail to stop myself from being bored.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
21. I have the power to make this bit (“time”) useful.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
22. Be it good or bad‚ inmates deserve most of what happens to them.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
23. Inmates who can’t get guards to treat them with respect don’t understand how to get along with guards.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
24. It is really up to the inmate whether jail becomes an opportunity or a punishment.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
26. The administration should listen to the ideas of inmates.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
27. My fate lies in the hands of the system.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
28. You have to be more smart than lucky to get by in jail.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
29. An inmate really can’t be expected to keep his cool in a place like jail.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
30. When an inmate gets in trouble it is usually the end result of jail staff abusing their authority.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
31. An inmate has a lot of control over how he is treated.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
32. Most guards are influenced by the actions of inmates.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
33. Jail is so negative that I can’t help but be influenced in a negative way.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
34. Good things happen to inmates who make good things happen.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
35. Peer pressure is so strong in jail that it prevents me from doing good.
Agree1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10Disagree
36. In what year were you born? ___________________
37. Are you (Female or Male)?
38. _____Black/African American
_____White
_____Other
39. What is your marital status?
_____Never married
_____Married: living with spouse
_____Married: not living with spouse
_____Divorced
_____Widowed
40. What was the last year in school that you have completed?
_____Less than 6th grade
_____Completed 6th grade
_____Completed 7th grade _____GED
_____Completed 8th grade _____Vocational School (formal training)
_____Completed 9th grade _____Any informal training (apprenticeship)
_____Completed 10th grade
_____Completed 11th grade
_____High school diploma
_____Some College
_____College degree
41. Before your current incarceration‚ how many people lived with you in yourhousehold? _______________WRITE NUMBER
42. Do you rent or own the space you lived in before your current incarceration orwere you staying at someone else’s house?___________
43. Have you had dealings with the courts prior to your current incarceration? If yes‚under what circumstances?
44. Have you‚ in the past 5 years‚ had a bench warrant? About how long ago?
45. Did you serve any time on that/those warrant(s)?
46. Prior to 5 years ago‚ did you ever have a bench warrant?
47. Did you serve any time on that/those warrants?
48. What kind of offenses lead to you having bench warrants? (ticket‚ misdemeanor‚ felony)
49. Has there been a time when you have had contact with the police (courts) andwent completely through the process?
50. What were the charges?
51. I am going to read you a statement. I want you to tell me if you SD‚ D‚ PA/D‚ A‚or SA. The criminal justice system (police‚ courts‚ and corrections) is an essentialpart of society.
_____Strongly disagree
_____Disagree
_____Partially agree/disagree
_____Agree
_____Strongly agree
52. On a scale of 1 to 10‚ with one being the least important and 10 being the mostimportant‚ how important do you consider a court appearance?(circle the number)
1_____2_____3_____4_____5_____6_____7_____8_____9_____10
53. Roughly‚ how many court appearances have you missed? _______________
54. Have you‚ in the past‚ served time on a bench warrant? Yes / No (circle)
55. How many people (relatives and close friends) do you know who are currentlyspending time in either a jail or a prison? (Write the number of people)
Relatives________ (specify parents/ siblings/ children)
Close friends_____
56. How many visitors do you have a week? ________number of visitors per week
57. How many letters do you receive a week? _______number of letters per week
58. You are the natural parent of how many children?
____ 0(AGES)
____ 1
____ 2
____ 3
____ 4
____ 5
____ more than 5
59. How many brothers and sisters do you have? ____________________WRITE
NUMBER
60. How many children do you have custody of? (this includes your children andanyone else’s that you provide the primary support for) ____________WRITENUMBER
61. Before you entered jail‚ who did you live with? (check all that apply)
_____None
_____Mom
_____Dad
_____Grandmother
_____Grandfather
_____Aunt
_____Uncle
_____Other
62. Before your current incarceration‚ did you attend church servicesregularly?_____x a month
63. Were you employed at the time of your arrest?
_____No
_____Full-time
_____Part-time
64. What job or type of job did you work in the last 12 months?
65. In the last year‚ how much did you work?______# of months
66. Roughly‚ how much money did you make in a week?
Please describe to me the nature of your most recent arrest.
Please describe to me why you were unable to attend a scheduled court appearance.
Intoxicated____________________________________________
Environmental factors (ex. no ride)_________________________
Personal reasons (ex. sickness)____________________________
No information (did not know court date)____________________
No money to pay fines___________________________________
Other_________________________________________________
Did you know that you could pay and have your court date changed?
If has served time on a bench warrant before but does attend now‚ what changed?
Does it matter whether the court appearance is for a misdemeanor or a felony or tickets?
What is the difference between the times you do attend court and the times you don’t?