A study of about 79 prisoners (and, I believe, a few non-prisoners from the research team as controls) claims that prisoners think they are more moral than other prisoners and others not in prison.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
A short newspaper article has no time to give details on the questionnaire. The questionnaire often has yes or no answers. For example, is a restaurant good or bad? It might have great food but bad drinks. A human being might defraud banks but be kind to animals.
The prisoner might think he was just unlucky to be caught.
All we know is that the prisoners either think they are more moral, or think that they should be, or they think of themselves that way, or want the person asking questions to think that. Maybe they just want to get out of prison by appearing better than average. Or they lie more on questionnaires!
So what are the conclusions?
PRISONERS' VIEWS ON BEING IN PRISON
Why do they think they are in prison if they are more moral?
Bad luck - at getting caught? Because the cops and police are biased?
Because they are moral but know they have low IQ and misunderstand rules?
Because of mistaken identity?
Have they forgotten what they did? In denial?
Just lying to the questionnaire in the hope of early release?
Lying, boasting?
Self-deluded?
Want to go straight but easily tempted because go for immediate gain (e.g. from theft) worry about being caught later, later?
Optimists? Think they will get away with crime?
Pessimists? Think if I don't take this money now I'll never have any?
Feel they deserve more?
Revenge?
Is the problem to make them see the truth - would that alter their behaviour?
Or do those who claim they 'can't remember' a crime telling the truth?
Does it matter?
Should we be punishing criminals or locking them up?
I think the questionnaire should have been done differently.
Ask people different questions. Don't ask what they think. Ask what they do. And what they think they should do. And whether they are happy to continue acting the same way? Or would they prefer to change?
Do they commit crime on impulse without thinking of the consequences?
Do they think they get away with it?
Do they think others are lawless and they are only doing what everybody does.
If they want to change:
1 Would they prefer not to be tempted? (For example, goods not on display in self-service shops but you have to ask an assistant for goods.)
2 Or would they prefer tougher penalties?
3 Or name and shame? Or rewards for good conduct?
4 Or to be less worried?
5 Or to make it easier to return goods?
6 Or to relate to the shop assistant by name? Or know the boss of the store?
If you find money in your home do you return it to the owner? If you find money in the street do you return it to the owner?
IF WE WANT TO CHANGE THEM
Society wants to prevent crime, catch criminals, spend less on prisons, prevent re-offending. Recompensing victims comes low down and late in the history of prison reform.
In criminal cases courts in the old days did not enough.
The message could be that prisoners see themselves differently from the way non-prisoners see themselves. Or, that we all see ourselves differently from the way others see us. Some see themselves as always in wrong. Others see themselves as always in the right. the middle group see themselves as the norm, the average. Does that mean they think that half the world are saints, and half are sinner. Or that everybody is or should be like them?
The rule of one never applies to the whole world. My father survived WWII. He ate apples. That doesn't mean that everybody survived World War II. Nor that if you eat apples, you will survive a world war. You have to take a group of people. That's what a survey does.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
A short newspaper article has no time to give details on the questionnaire. The questionnaire often has yes or no answers. For example, is a restaurant good or bad? It might have great food but bad drinks. A human being might defraud banks but be kind to animals.
The prisoner might think he was just unlucky to be caught.
All we know is that the prisoners either think they are more moral, or think that they should be, or they think of themselves that way, or want the person asking questions to think that. Maybe they just want to get out of prison by appearing better than average. Or they lie more on questionnaires!
So what are the conclusions?
PRISONERS' VIEWS ON BEING IN PRISON
Why do they think they are in prison if they are more moral?
Bad luck - at getting caught? Because the cops and police are biased?
Because they are moral but know they have low IQ and misunderstand rules?
Because of mistaken identity?
Have they forgotten what they did? In denial?
Just lying to the questionnaire in the hope of early release?
Lying, boasting?
Self-deluded?
Want to go straight but easily tempted because go for immediate gain (e.g. from theft) worry about being caught later, later?
Optimists? Think they will get away with crime?
Pessimists? Think if I don't take this money now I'll never have any?
Feel they deserve more?
Revenge?
Is the problem to make them see the truth - would that alter their behaviour?
Or do those who claim they 'can't remember' a crime telling the truth?
Does it matter?
Should we be punishing criminals or locking them up?
I think the questionnaire should have been done differently.
Ask people different questions. Don't ask what they think. Ask what they do. And what they think they should do. And whether they are happy to continue acting the same way? Or would they prefer to change?
Do they commit crime on impulse without thinking of the consequences?
Do they think they get away with it?
Do they think others are lawless and they are only doing what everybody does.
If they want to change:
1 Would they prefer not to be tempted? (For example, goods not on display in self-service shops but you have to ask an assistant for goods.)
2 Or would they prefer tougher penalties?
3 Or name and shame? Or rewards for good conduct?
4 Or to be less worried?
5 Or to make it easier to return goods?
6 Or to relate to the shop assistant by name? Or know the boss of the store?
If you find money in your home do you return it to the owner? If you find money in the street do you return it to the owner?
IF WE WANT TO CHANGE THEM
Society wants to prevent crime, catch criminals, spend less on prisons, prevent re-offending. Recompensing victims comes low down and late in the history of prison reform.
In criminal cases courts in the old days did not enough.
The message could be that prisoners see themselves differently from the way non-prisoners see themselves. Or, that we all see ourselves differently from the way others see us. Some see themselves as always in wrong. Others see themselves as always in the right. the middle group see themselves as the norm, the average. Does that mean they think that half the world are saints, and half are sinner. Or that everybody is or should be like them?
The rule of one never applies to the whole world. My father survived WWII. He ate apples. That doesn't mean that everybody survived World War II. Nor that if you eat apples, you will survive a world war. You have to take a group of people. That's what a survey does.
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