NCJ Number
230850
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 49 Issue: 4 Dated: May-June 2010 Pages: 293-308
Date Published
May 2010
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article describes and assesses a new prisoner college preparatory program developed through a partnership with a medium-security State prison and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Abstract
While the authors know formal education is an important variable for reducing recidivism, there are few prison systems still offering college courses. The authors introduce the "Inviting Convicts to College Program" that deploys undergraduate student-teachers as instructors of college level courses inside prisons. The student-teachers are supervised by professors. The course taught is Convict Criminology. This article describes the program, and uses quantitative and qualitative methods to assess four semesters taught at a medium-security State prison. The methodology uses both a survey and focused interviews of prisoners and student teachers. Findings indicate the program goals were met, and the courses taught served as valuable educational experiences for convicts and student-teachers. Tables, notes, and references (Published Abstract)