NCJ Number
82143
Date Published
1980
Length
77 pages
Annotation
This evaluation, which focuses on educational programs offered within the Michigan Department of Corrections, describes processes and objectives of placement, the history and implementation of instructional systems, and related problems.
Abstract
Academic programs examined include the Adult Basic Education Program, the Pre-General Educational Development Program, and the General Educational Development Program. These programs were selected for study because they serve the largest number of clients and are administered at more than one correctional facility. Evaluation information was gathered from instructors, school administrators, staff members, policy directives, and educational guidelines. The study assumed that the programs would continue to take the same shape that they have taken in the recent past and asked how, given that basic configuration, they might be made better or more efficient. A number of problem areas were identified through evaluation efforts, including frequency of testing, inadequate program development, inadequate staff training, and inadequate transfer of information among facilities. Problem areas share a single focus, a general lack of information flow. In addition, the corrections department's policies portray the educational system in the institutions as a single, comprehensive program with several centers. However, the facilities tend to view their own educational programs as self-contained. Many of the problems are thus attributable to incompatibility between the department and the facilities.