The survey of the Inmates 'Career Thoughts and Working Motivation: An Exploratory Study on Inmates of Private Finance Prisons

Abstract

This exploratory study aimed to investigate the career thoughts and working motivation of 535 inmates with low recidivism risk who had received vocational training at two Private Finance Initiative prisons in Japan. The study conducted a survey and used confirmatory factor analyses to examine the subcategories of career thoughts hindering working, career thoughts improving continuous working, and job motivation, based on previous studies in career psychology. While the study confirmed several subcategories as defined in previous studies, it also encountered some challenges, including ceiling effects among several items and inadequate model fit, particularly for job motivation. In addition, the study examined sex differences in career thoughts hindering working and career thoughts improving continuous working. The results indicated that female inmates had greater job expectations after their release and recognized important values, but also had a feeling of exclusion and anxiety about working due to their imprisonment compared to male inmates. Furthermore, females demonstrated lower coping skills when dealing with stress and undesirable situations than males. Overall, the findings suggest the need for further research on psychological and situational factors related to inmates' work careers to better support them in overcoming the challenges they face during their reentry into society. This study provides insights into the career thoughts and working motivation of inmates and highlights the importance of addressing gender differences when developing interventions and support programs for inmates. The study's limitations and implications required future studies.