CORRECTIONAL REFORM THROUGH VOCATIONAL TRAINING - AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MD) BASICS (BAR ASSOCIATION SUPPORT TO IMPROVE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES) PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 51062
• Author(s): C R HUFF
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 47 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Edna McConnell Clark Foundation; American Bar Endowment
• Corporate Author: American Bar Assoc (Basics)
• Sale Source: American Bar Assoc (Basics)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION CORRECTIONAL REFORM EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES SERIES

Annotation

OF 23 OFFENDERS WHO RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING (AUTO MECHANICS) SPONSORED BY THE MONTGOMERY TRAINING FACILITY IN FAIRFAX (VA.), 17 WERE REARRESTED.

Abstract

THE PROGRAM UTILIZED THREE SOURCES OF REFERRAL: (1) THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION AND REHABILITATION; (2) THE DIVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND; AND (3) THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE SERVICES. THOSE REFERRED WERE SUBJECTED TO A THREE-PART SCREENING PROCESS, CONSISTING OF COMPLETION OF THE STANDARD INTAKE FORM UTILIZED BY THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER, ADMINISTRATION OF THE PURDUE MECHANICAL ADAPTABILITY TEST, AND A PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH THE COMMITTEE ON CORRECTIONAL REFORM, A BAR ASSOCIATION SUBGROUP. OF THE 23 PARTICIPANTS, 11 WERE REFERRED BY THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER; 10 CAME FROM THE DIVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION; AND 2 WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE SERVICES. ALL THE OFFENDERS WERE MALES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 17 AND 30 YEARS, OF WHOM TWO-THIRDS WERE WHITE, SIX BLACK, AND ONE LATINO. AVAILABLE DATA SUGGEST THAT AS A GROUP, THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE GM PROGRAM (18 OF THE 23) PERFORMED AT A LEVEL JUST BELOW THE CLASS AVERAGE IN EACH OF THE FOUR MAJOR AREAS OF TRAINING. THE MAJORITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE NOT SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN GM DEALERSHIPS UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. IT APPEARED THAT ONLY SEVEN WERE PLACED WITH GM, WHILE FOUR OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT AT OTHER AUTO DEALERS, AND FIVE FOUND JOBS IN AUTO-RELATED BUSINESSES; SEVEN REMAINED UNEMPLOYED. TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS REMAINED FREE OF FURTHER ENTANGLEMENTS WITH THE LAW, ALL 23 OFFENDERS WERE FOLLOWED THROUGH BOTH FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION RECORDS AND LOCAL COURT RECORDS FOR 2 TO 3 YEARS UNTIL JULY 6, 1978. OF THE 18 WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, 6 WERE ABLE TO REMAIN FREE OF SUBSEQUENT ARREST. DETAILS ARE PROVIDED REGARDING PROGRAM DESIGN AND OPERATIONS, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARTICIPANTS, INPROGRAM PERFORMANCE, POSTPROGRAM OUTCOMES, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS, AND EVALUATION DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A REPAYMENT AGREEMENT, A SAMPLE GM QUIZ, AND RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRES. FIGURES AND TABLES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)