J Educ Eval Health Prof.  2019;16:6. 10.3352/jeehp.2019.16.6.

Attitudes toward rehabilitating inmates among occupational therapy students in the United States

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. yuen@uab.edu

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was to examine occupational therapy (OT) students' attitudes toward rehabilitating inmates and validate an instrument used to measure their attitudes.
METHODS
OT students (n=128) from one university in Alabama, United States, completed an online survey exploring their attitudes toward rehabilitating inmates, which was assessed using the Rehabilitation Orientation Scale (ROS), a 7-point scale. Dimensional structure, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and relations to other variables of the ROS was evaluated using factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha, known-groups method, and univariable correlations, respectively.
RESULTS
Unidimensionality of the ROS was confirmed with an alpha coefficient of 0.90. The mean ROS score of the respondents was 5.1; a score toward 7 indicated a more supportive attitude. About 60% of the respondents reported supportive attitudes (i.e., an ROS score ≥5). Respondents' ROS scores were significantly higher than those of the public and criminal justice professionals. Female students reported a more supportive attitude than males. Multiple regression analysis indicated that respondents' consideration of working in prison settings after graduation and their perception that OT has a role in prison settings were significantly associated with support for rehabilitating inmates, after controlling for gender and an acquaintance with someone who has been incarcerated.
CONCLUSION
Results indicated that the ROS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties as it applied to this population. The majority of respondents reported supportive attitudes toward rehabilitating inmates. Consideration of working in prison settings after graduation and the perception that OT has a role in prison settings were 2 independent factors associated with respondents' attitudes toward rehabilitating inmates.

Keyword

Attitude of health personnel; Occupational therapy; Students; Health professions; Criminals; United States

MeSH Terms

Alabama
Attitude of Health Personnel
Criminal Law
Criminals
Female
Health Occupations
Humans
Male
Methods
Occupational Therapy*
Prisons
Psychometrics
Rehabilitation
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States*

Reference

References

1. Sample B. First Step Act: a comprehensive analysis [Internet]. Rutland (VT): Brandon Sample PLC;2018. [cited 2019 Jan 4]. Available from: https://sentencing.net/legislation/first-step-act.
2. Munoz JP, Moreton EM, Sitterly AM. The scope of practice of occupational therapy in U.S. criminal justice settings. Occup Ther Int. 2016; 23:241–254. https://doi.org/10.1002/oti.1427.
Article
3. Dowden C, Andrews DA. The importance of staff practice in delivering effective correctional treatment: a meta-analytic review of core correctional practice. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2004; 48:203–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624x03257765.
Article
4. Cullen FT, Lutze FE, Link BG, Wolfe NT. The correctional orientation of prison guards: do officers support rehabilitation. Fed Probat. 1989; 53:33–42.
5. Mokkink LB, Terwee CB, Knol DL, Stratford PW, Alonso J, Patrick DL, Bouter LM, de Vet HC. The COSMIN checklist for evaluating the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties: a clarification of its content. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2010; 10:22. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-10-22.
Article
6. Matsunaga M. How to factor-analyze your data right: do’s, don’ts, and how-to’s. Int J Psychol Res. 2010; 3:97–110. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.854.
Article
7. Cullen FT, Clark GA, Cullen JB, Mathers RA. Attribution, salience, and attitudes toward criminal sanctioning. Crim Justice Behav. 1985; 12:305–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854885012003003.
Article
8. Knafl GJ, Grey M. Factor analysis model evaluation through likelihood cross-validation. Stat Methods Med Res. 2007; 16:77–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0962280206070649.
Article
9. George D, Mallery P. SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference: 11.0 update. 4th ed. Boston (MA): Allyn & Bacon;2003.
10. Ortet-Fabregat G, Perez J. An assessment of the attitudes towards crime among professionals in the criminal justice system. Br J Criminol. 1992; 32:193–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjc.a048191.
Article
11. Gakhal BK, Brown SJ. A comparison of the general public’s, forensic professionals’ and students’ attitudes towards female sex offenders. J Sex Aggress. 2011; 17:105–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2010.540678.
Article
12. Kjelsberg E, Skoglund TH, Rustad AB. Attitudes towards prisoners, as reported by prison inmates, prison employees and college students. BMC Public Health. 2007; 7:71. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-71.
Article
13. Brown T, Williams B, Boyle M, Molloy A, McKenna L, Molloy L, Lewis B. Levels of empathy in undergraduate occupational therapy students. Occup Ther Int. 2010; 17:135–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/oti.297.
Article
14. Phelan SK. Constructions of disability: a call for critical reflexivity in occupational therapy. Can J Occup Ther. 2011; 78:164–172. https://doi.org/10.2182/cjot.2011.78.3.4.
Article
Full Text Links
  • JEEHP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr