NCJ Number
146511
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 20 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 35-46
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a parenting education curriculum on cognitive performance against a baseline level of knowledge among female inmates.
Abstract
The curriculum was derived from the nationally used parenting program called Systematic Training for Effective Parenting and consisted of a 10-week series of classes that met once a week for 1.5 hours. The participants were inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. A total of 1,635 inmates completed an initial survey instrument. Inmates took the classes in 1990 and completed the survey during the last class period. The experimental group included 203 inmates; a control group of 275 inmates also completed a posttest survey. Results revealed that both black and white inmates achieved statistically significant gains in knowledge. The experimental group achieved six times the improvement achieved by the control group. Findings indicated that women entering the correctional institution lacked adequate knowledge about child development and child behavior management and that participation in a parent education program results in significant gains in knowledge about child development and nonviolent behavior management. Tables and 22 references