NCJ Number
209359
Date Published
2004
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Surveys administered to inmates (n=480) on-site at Ohio's 2 prison intake facilities for male offenders focused on their employment history 1 year prior to arrest, their perception of unemployment as a major cause of crime, their willingness to participate in prison programs that teach job skills, and prison programs they would like to see offered that could impact their future employability.
Abstract
Just over 60 percent of the inmates reported that they held jobs for 7 months or more in the year prior to their arrest; only 24 percent were employed for 3 months or less. A significant proportion were employed full-time. The inmates overwhelmingly believed that the inability to find jobs could be a cause of crime, less than 5 percent "strongly disagreed" that the inability to find a job is a cause of crime. Just over 68 percent of the respondents reported that they would be very likely to participate in prison programs that teach job skills; fewer than 10 percent expressed an unwillingness to participate in such programs. Over 60 percent of the inmates favored general or specific education or job-development programs for offerings by the prison administration. The fact that most of the inmates had been employed in the year prior to their arrest suggests that employment per se does not prevent criminal behavior. This suggests that the quality of employment is important if employment is to be a significant factor in preventing crime; therefore, correctional programs should focus on teaching job skills in work areas that have good wages and challenging tasks. 4 tables, 2 notes, and 20 references