A study of individual, environmental, and interactive effects in explaining adjustment to prison

The interactionist model of adjustment to prison suggests that inmates have unique characteristics which work as internal determinants of behavior, but do so within the framework of the prison's social environment, which facilitates or impedes satisfaction of needs. Distress occurs at the point of transaction where an individual's adaptive capacity is inadequate to meet internal and/or environmental demands. Past research examined the influence of both individual and environmental characteristics in determining patterns of prison adjustment but failed to investigate the fit between person and environment. Using multiple measures of individual effects, environmental effects, and congruence between person and environment, this study found that all three dimensions are significantly related to how inmates adjust to prison. Implications of these findings for prison administration are discussed.

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