EVALUATION OF CORRECTIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS (FROM AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION - PROCEEDINGS OF THE 106TH ANNUAL CONGRESS OF CORRECTIONS, 1976 - SEE NCJ-49145)

• NCJ Number: 49172
• Author(s): L N BLUM
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: American Correctional Association
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND FINDINGS OF AN EVALUATION OF STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMS AT A LARGE MIDWESTERN STATE PRISON ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

A KEY ISSUE IN THE EVALUATION WAS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE TRAINING PROGRAMS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, AND HAVE IMPACT UPON, ACTUAL JOB ACTIVITIES, CRITICAL INCIDENTS (RAPES, SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, STAFF USE OF FORCE, INMATE ASSAULTS, ETC.), AND STRUCTURAL INFLUENCES IN THE PRISON. AN EVALUATION MODEL WAS DEVELOPED TO REFLECT SYSTEM GOAL STATEMENTS (RETRIBUTION, DETERRENCE, REHABILITATION), SOCIALIZATION INPUTS (TRAINING PROGRAMS/PROCESSES/EMPHASES, ONGOING WORK ACTIVITIES), MEDIATING VARIABLES (TRAINING, STAFF CHARACTERISTICS, WORK/SETTING, INSTITUTIONAL SOURCES OF INFLUENCE), SOCIALIZATION OUTCOMES (ROLE CONCEPTS, JOB-RELATED ATTITUDES, JOB PERFORMANCE), PROGRAM OUTCOMES, AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STAFF AND RESIDENTS. WITHIN THIS MODEL, A PROBLEM-ORIENTED PLANNING PROCEDURE WAS USED TO IMPLEMENT THE EVALUATIVE RESEARCH, WHICH INVOLVED DIRECT OBSERVATION OF PRISON STAFF WORK ACTIVITIES, OBSERVATION AND MONITORING OF CONTENT EMPHASES AND STRATEGIES OF NEW EMPLOYEE AND INSERVICE TRAINING PROGRAMS, ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN THE PRISON, AND QUESTIONNAIRE ASSESSMENT OF PRISON STAFF ROLE CONCEPTIONS, JOB-RELATED ATTITUDES, AND RESPONSES TO VARIOUS WORK SITUATIONS. THE EVALUATION FOUND THAT, WHILE TRAINING EMPHASIZED INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, 'HELPING' INTERACTIONS WITH INMATES, AND PROFESSIONALIZATION OF STAFF, OBSERVED STAFF MEMBERS SPENT ONLY 2.9 PERCENT OF THEIR TIME ENGAGED IN ANY BEHAVIOR CATEGORIZED AS 'TREATMENT' OR HELPING. MOST STAFF TIME WAS SPENT ON CUSTODY, GENERAL MAINTENANCE, INACTIVITY, AND SECURITY. STAFF RESPONSES TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS WERE INDEPENDENT OF THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF TRAINING COMPLETED. ALTHOUGH STAFF MEMBERS' EXPRESSED FEELINGS OF PROFESSIONALISM AND CONCERN WITH LISTENING TO AND UNDERSTANDING INMATES INCREASED WITH TRAINING, THESE FEELINGS WERE NOT REFLECTED IN ON-THE-JOB BEHAVIOR. CO-WORKERS, ESPECIALLY THE MORE EXPERIENCED OFFICERS, WERE IMPORTANT INFLUENCES ON STAFF ROLE CONCEPTIONS AND JOB ORIENTATION. THE EVALUATION RESEARCH PROVIDED A FEEDBACK/MONITORING SYSTEM ENABLING CORRECTIONS ADMINISTRATORS TO ASSESS PROBLEMS IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMS AND TO IMPROVE PROGRAM CONTENT AND OPERATION. (LKM)