AUTONOMIC REACTIONS TO STRESS The Effects of Several Therapy Analogues on Prisoners

Gonzalez and Dawkins are coprincipal investigators on this project. Among a relatively large sample of male, young adult prison inmates, four different therapy analogues, along with placebo and untreated controls, were compared as to their effects in reducing stress induced autonomic reactions. The only effective "treatment" proved to be one involving self-concept / self-esteem enhancement. The results are dis-cussed in relation to "the prison syndrome " and its relationship to postrelease adjustment. central problem faced by correctional systems has been thevulnerability of offenders to recidivism upon their return to environments which are highly conducive to crime. This aspect of containment theory (Reckless, 1966) raises the question con-. cerning the personality factors which promote resistance to subgroup pressures toward further criminal behavior. Addi-at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on May 18, 2016cjb.sagepub.comDownloaded from 108 tionally, from a corrections viewpoint, questions can be raised concerning the effects of imprisonment itself on subsequen