HISTORY AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES WORK RELEASE SCHEME 1969-1977

• NCJ Number: 65844
• Author(s): M H MINER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 158 pages
• Corporate Author: New South Wales
• Sale Source: New South Wales
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES WORK RELEASE PROGRAM IS REVIEWED OVER THE FIRST 7 YEARS OF OPERATION, AND ADMINISTRATIVE TYPOLOGIES ARE IDENTIFIED AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE PROGRAM OPERATIONS.

Abstract

USING DESCRIPTIVE DATA OBTAINED FROM DEPARTMENTAL RECORDS, AND THROUGH CORRESPONDENCE AND INTERVIEWS WITH KEY PERSONNEL, INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED ON THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES: OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM, STAFF ROLES, STAFF SELECTION, STAFF MORALE, STAFF AMENITIES, STAFF ORGANIZATION, INMATE SELECTION, PREWORK RELEASE PROGRAM, INMATE EMPLOYMENT, DAILY ROUTING, INMATE FACILITIES, INMATE PRIVILEGES, LOCAL RULES, AND PROCEDURES RELATING TO RULE VIOLATIONS. INTERVIEWS WITH A SAMPLE OF WORK RELEASES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE EXPANSION AND CONSOLIDATION STAGE OF THE PROGRAM. SELECTION CRITERIA WERE STRICT IN THE INITIAL INITIAL STAGES OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, BUT WIDENED TO INCLUDE CAREFULLY SCREENED RECIDIVIST INMATES, VIOLENT OFFENDERS, DRUG OFFENDERS, AND LONG-TERM INMATES. THE STAFF EXPRESSED VARYING DEGREES OF SATISFACTION WITH THE SELECTION CRITERIA. DESPITE RELATIVELY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, THE NUMBER OF INMATES ON WORK RELEASE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED, INDICATING THAT JOB PLACEMENT IS NOT AN INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEM. STAFF DIFFERED ON THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR OBTAINING INMATE EMPLOYMENT; SOME ADVOCATED THE USE OF SPECIALIST EMPLOYMENT STAFF WHILE OTHERS WANT GREATER PRISONER OR OFFICER PARTICIPATION IN FINDING JOBS. RULES APPEAR TO BE DESIGNED TO SET REASONABLE LIMITS FOR INMATES WHILE AWAY FROM THE CENTER AND TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ORDER FOR COMMUNAL LIVING IN THE CENTER. INMATES QUESTIONED IN THE 1977 STUDY PERCEIVED THE MAJOR BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM TO BE FINANCIAL GAINS AND RESOCIALIZATION. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INTO WORK RELEASE ARE SUGGESTED. TABULAR DATA, 19 REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. INMATE/STAFF ATTITUDES AND RESPONSES ARE APPENDED ALONG WITH INMATE DESCRIPTIONS AND RELATED DISCUSSIONS. (RCB)