Virtudes y fortalezas de carácter en personas recluidas en un sistema penitenciario

Within the field of criminal psychology, people who have committed crimes often are characterized as having negative personality traits and lacking character strengths. Yet, Positive Psychology states that all human beings possess, to certain extent, virtues and strengths and these are universally manifested in most cultures. This paper is aimed at determining and analyzing whether individuals who have committed a crime exhibit virtues and character strengths. The study was conducted in a penitentiary institution at Hermosillo, Mexico. The Virtues and Strengths Inventory (VIA-S), Spanish reduced version, was administered to a sample of 104 inmates: 89.4% males and 10.6% females. The findings revealed that, as any other people, individuals who have committed any offense exhibit virtuous traits and character strengths.