NCJ Number
80354
Date Published
1979
Length
200 pages
Annotation
The study describes the postsecondary programs available to inmates, wards, and ex-offenders in California and evaluates their impact in terms of providing educational opportunities and lowering recidivism rates.
Abstract
Conducted in 1978-1979, this holistic evaluation drew upon several sources: observational and perceptual data collected in site visits to penal and postsecondary institutions; questionnaires completed by inmates, ex-offenders, teachers, and prison and campus education personnel; and statistics on recidivism and costs obtained from State correctional agencies. An initial wave of questionnaires indicated that postsecondary programs for inmates and wards were offered by all 12 adult correctional facilities and 5 California Youth Authority (CYA) facilities. Ex-offender programs were identified in nine State universities and nine community colleges. A description of the study's methodology covers sampling techniques, survey response rates from individual institutions, and constraints on the evaluation. The report presents an inventory of all prison-based postsecondary programs, with attention to program differences, enrollment criteria, attrition, counseling, and vocational training. Data from teacher questionnaires suggested that most teachers were predominantly white and male with advanced educational degrees but with little experience teaching in correctional facilities. Tests assessing the impact of the educational programs through recidivism measures encountered many methdological difficulties but showed that male inmates who participated to the greatest extent in the college program were least likely to recidivate and recidivated considerably less than the average for all males released. No clear relationship between postsecondary education and recidivism was discovered for CYA residents. Characteristics of inmates served by these programs are detailed and compared with a sample of inmates not enrolled in college classes. Programs for ex-offenders in community colleges and State universities are then discussed, as are characteristics of ex-offenders who enroll and their serious financial problems. A concluding chapter emphasizes that both prison-based and campus-based courses are not specially designed for inmates and follow traditional instructional methods. Recommendations address problems in service delivery, flexibility of postsecondary programs, improved access to educational resources, educational counseling for ex-offenders, and raising the academic level of all prison programs. Proposals relating to funding and establishing a prison college are outlined. Tables are included.