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1 INTRODUCTION ................................ 1
General Introductory Statement .............. 1
Statement of the Problem .................... 1
Statement of Purpose ........................ 3
Limitations ................................. 4
2 REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE ............... 5
Introduction ................................. 5
Social Integration ........................... 5
Adult Social Groups .......................... 7
Interpersonal Communications ................. 8
3 METHODOLOGY .................................. 10
4 RESULTS ...................................... 11
REFERENCES ............................................... 12
This proposal describes a research study which will inves tigate the psychological effects on prison inmates of the use of solitary confinement. One intent of the study will be to assess the desirability of the recommending of a continuation of the use of solitary confinement as a means of maintaining con trol of the prison population, in relation to adverse psycholo gical effects on prisoners.
From the mid 1970s through the mid 1980s, the American prison population increased by 84 percent from approximately 285,000 to around 524,000 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1988). Per 100 thousand population, the increase was from 129 to 216. Since the mid 1980s, the prison population has contin ued to climb, however, at a slightly reduced rate (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1990).
During this same time period since the mid 1970s, the rate of both violent crime and property crime in the United States has escalated (Federal of Bureau of Investigation,
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