Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Eric Seemann
Committee Member
Aurora Torres
Committee Member
Jodi Price
Subject(s)
Psychometrics., Prisoners--Alabama., Quality of life.
Abstract
Quality of life (QOL) is a subjective evaluation of an individual’s position in life, and is context dependent. No research to date focuses on QOL in general inmate populations in the United States (U.S.). The aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound inmate QOL scale beta version for use with inmates in the U.S. prison system. A 136- item inmate QOL questionnaire was administered to 216 inmates at Limestone Correctional Facility (LCF) in Harvest, Alabama. Items were developed based on interviews with 38 LCF Correctional Officers and 77 LCF inmates, and previous research conducted in England and Wales. Five factors (Compliance/Structure, Proactive Resilience, Personal Respect, Spiritual Beliefs, and Family Contact and Information) were discovered through exploratory factor analysis. This study outlines a replicable procedure for developing an inmate QOL measure that is specific to the culture and climate of the prison facility.
Recommended Citation
Alden, McKenzie L., "Development of the Alabama prisoner quality of life survey" (2018). Theses. 268.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/268