About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

7 J. Res. Crime & Delinquency 1 (1970)

handle is hein.journals/jrcd7 and id is 1 raw text is: The Penal Press: Opportunities for Correctional Research* JOSEPH W. ROGERS Chairman, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, New Mexico State University Ph.D. (Sociology), 1965, University of Washington ELIZABETH SMITH ALEXANDER Counselor, Psychiatric Division, Student Health Center, Indiana University M.S. (Rehabilitation Counseling) , 1969, Indiana University Although the penal press consists of over two hundred publi- cations and has an estimated audience exceeding three hundred thousand readers, surprisingly little research attention has been devoted to it. This paper attempts to focus attention on the penal press through a merger of interests in corrections, com- munication, theory and content analysis. After providing a brief background of the penal press, two particular publications are compared through content analysis. Further examination is attempted through the incorporation of the concept of neutralization from the work of Gresham Sykes and David Matza. Since the intention of this paper is primarily suggestive rather than conclusive, demonstrative rather than comprehensive, emphasis is placed upon the potential of the penal press. Ac- cordingly, the conclusion suggests a number of ways in which this research vehicle might be utilized to further correctional knowledge. S OCIOLOGY is a discipline well known for its interests in correc- tions, in communication, and in the research method of content analysis. A principal thrust of this paper is toward merging these three interests through a focus upon the penal press as a potential vehicle for fruitful re- search investigation and analysis. To * This is a revision of a paper presented at the 1968 annual meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society. A portion of the research reported in this paper was supported by funds from National Science Foundation grants GY-2872 and GY-1032 to Kansas State University. date, the bulk of concern with the penal press has emanated primarily from five sources, including sociolo- gists, journalists, professional writers, prison personnel, and from incarcer- ated inmates themselves.' Prior to presenting our own results, it seems in 1 Without question the singlemost out- standing work is that of Russell N. Baird: The Penal Press (Evanston, Illinois: North- western University Press, 1967). He is a Professor of Journalism at Ohio University. Outside of the penal press itself, most of the present literature may be found through the following references (in order of publica- tion)

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most