NCJ Number
47743
Journal
EVALUATION QUARTERLY Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 71-90
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
TO EVALUATE A PROGRAM PROVIDING LEGAL AND COUNSELING ASSISTANCE TO PAROLEES, SEMISTRUCTURED PRETEST AND POSTTEST INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 32 PAROLEES RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PROGRAM AND CONTROL GROUPS.
Abstract
THE RESULTS OF AN EVALUATION OF THE VOLUNTEER IN PAROLE PROGRAM FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ARE PROVIDED. THE VARIABLES EVALUATED INCLUDED ARREST RATES, EMPLOYMENT, AND A NUMBER OF ATTITUDINAL DIMENSIONS. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AT THE START OF THE PROGRAM AND AGAIN AFTER 9 MONTHS. DURING THE 9-MONTH PERIOD, 3 OF THE 32 MEN, ALL IN THE CONTROL GROUP, WERE REARRESTED, WHILE 2 TREATMENT GROUP MEMBERS WERE REIMPRISONED AND 2 ABSCONDED. ONE CONTROL GROUP MEMBER ALSO ABSCONDED. THE PROGRAM FAILED TO AFFECT ANY OF THE EMPLOYMENT MEASURES, THE SAME PROPORTIONS OF BOTH GROUPS WERE EMPLOYED FOR ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AND AT COMPARABLE SALARIES. WHILE THE TREATMENT GROUP PAROLEES APPEAR TO HAVE MADE SLIGHTLY MORE USE OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES OR FACILITIES THAN DID THE CONTROLS, THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. ON THE ATTITUDINAL MEASURES, IT WAS FOUND THAT, WHILE THE PROGRAM DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE PAROLEES' GENERAL HAPPINESS, FEELINGS OF BEING STIGMATIZED, DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING PAROLE RULES, OR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE COURT, PROGRAM SUBJECTS DID FEEL MORE POSITIVELY ABOUT SOCIETAL CONCERN FOR THEM AND TENDED TO HAVE LESS UNREALISTIC JOB EXPECTANCIES THAN DID CONTROLS. OF THE PROGRAM PAROLEES, 25 PERCENT (4) INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD USE THE LAWYER-COUNSELOR AS A CHARACTER REFERENCE, AND 38 PERCENT (6) NAMED THE LAWYER AS ONE TO WHOM THEY COULD GO IF THEY WERE TROUBLED. OF THE PROGRAM SUBJECTS, 31 PERCENT SPOKE WITH THE LAWYER-COUNSELOR ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK, 56 PERCENT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, AND 12 PERCENT LESS THAN ONCE A MONTH. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE CONTACTS WERE IN PERSON AND PRIMARILY FOR ADVICE ON PAROLE REGULATIONS, FINANCIAL OR LEGAL MATTERS, OR FOR GENERAL ADVICE ON PROBLEMS. ALMOST ALL PAROLEES (94 PERCENT) AFFIRMED THAT THEY CONSIDERED THE LAWYER A GOOD FRIEND, 81 PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY FELT FREE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT EVEN VERY PERSONAL THINGS, AND 93 PERCENT FELT THAT IT WAS NOT THE CASE THAT THE VOLUNTEER DID NOT WISH TO TAKE THE TROUBLE TO BE HELPFUL. THE LACK OF TREATMENT EFFECTS FOR SOME OF THE VARIABLES MEASURED MAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FACT THAT THE STABILIZATION OF THESE MEN TO THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR RELEASE HAD ALREADY BEEN EFFECTED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SUCH VOLUNTEER COUNSELING PROGRAMS MAY HAVE GREATER IMPACT FOR NEWLY RELEASED PAROLEES STILL IN THE PROCESS OF READJUSTMENT. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)