Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Martha J. Giles

Abstract

Recidivism is a growing problem in the United States that has contributed to prison overcrowding. In the United States, this is especially true for minorities, who have the highest incarceration, conviction, and recidivism rates. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the relationship between race, recidivism, locus of control, and resilience. For the quantitative component, the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC) and the multidimensional locus of control scales were used to measure resiliency and locus of control differences among racial groups (N = 126) on parole at a Fort Worth, Texas parole office. For the qualitative component, in-depth interviews of participants (n = 12) provide a context for them to express the challenges they face that may contribute to recidivism. Data collected from both the CD-RISC, and the three multidimensional locus of control subscales were used in a MANOVA analysis to find differences and commonalities among racial groups. The findings showed there were no significant racial differences among resilience and locus of control scores. However, there were noticeable trends revealed from in the in-depth interviews regarding socioeconomic status, education, employment, and neighborhood. Future research should focus on a longitudinal examination of resilience and locus of control, and on how factors such as education, familial involvement, and employment may impact an individuals' success or failure while on parole. This study may bring social change by alerting policy makers to the challenges offenders face, thereby creating laws that help change how the criminal justice system addresses recidivism.

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