NCJ Number
108874
Date Published
1987
Length
75 pages
Annotation
Over the past 15 years, M-2 Sponsors, Inc., has matched approximately 28,000 volunteers with inmates throughout California's male and female correctional facilities in a program designed to facilitate inmates' reentry into the community.
Abstract
A 1987 evaluation of this program collected data through interviews with program participants, sponsors, and staff and evaluated statistical data for a weighted sample of 622 eligible M-2 participants paroled in fiscal 1983-1985. Results indicate that male inmates who received M-2 volunteer visits had higher probabilities of parole success at 6-, 12-, and 24-month followup than did those who received no visits. The relationship between the number of visits and the probability of success was highly significant. In addition, decreasing male inmate participation was directly related to the most serious parole failures (return to prison), as well as to less serious transgressions (e.g., technical violations). For female inmates, levels of parole success, although already high, did not increase with more M-2 volunteer visits. The majority of inmates experienced a single match with a sponsor, participated for more than 6 months, and had three or more visits during participation. Inmates reported positive attitudinal effects of having a sponsor, and sponsors and M-2 staff reported improvements in inmates' confidence and self-esteem. A cost analysis indicates the program provided significant cost benefits by reducing incarceration due to parole failure. Additional data and study instruments are appended. 3 figures and 8 tables.