Offenders’ Perceptions of Stigma: Importance and Measurement

Abstract

Stigma may act as a major barrier upon offenders’ return to the community following incarceration. However, few valid measurement tools currently exist to examine this construct among offenders. As such, the primary purpose of the current study was to develop an offender-specific stigma measurement tool and assess the degree to which male and female offenders perceive and internalize stigma. This study also provided initial data on the relationship between perceptions of stigma and risk of reoffending. Eighteen male and female residents of a private reentry facility participated in focus groups and provided feedback on the Stigma Perceptions Scale (SPS), a measure of perceived public stigma, perceived personal stigma, and self-stigma among individuals who have been incarcerated. Following focus group completion, a finalized version of the SPS was administered to 119 male and female residents of the same reentry facility. Information regarding reoffense risk level was also gathered from each participant’s institutional file. Results suggest that there is a discrepancy between the amount of stigma that offenders perceive from the public, the amount that they perceive others apply to them personally, and the amount that they apply directly to themselves, such that offenders endorse the greatest amount of perceived public stigma and the least amount of self-stigma. However, no significant differences between men and women in perceptions of stigma were noted. In addition, higher risk offenders reported significantly less perceived public stigma than their lower risk counterparts, while the amount of perceived personal and self-stigma endorsed by participants was similar across all risk levels. Such results suggest multiple avenues for future inquiry.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201