NCJ Number
27470
Date Published
1974
Length
126 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS CORRECTIONS PROJECT WHICH SUPPLIES INMATE TRAINING PROGRAMS, A GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, JOB DEVELOPMENT, POST-RELEASE COUNSELING, AND CUSTODIAL STAFF TRAINING IN HUMAN RELATIONS.
Abstract
THE GENERAL GOALS OF THIS PROJECT WERE TO REDUCE THE RECIDIVISM RATE AMONG FORMER RESIDENTS, TO INCREASE EMPLOYABILITY OF INMATES, TO UPGRADE THE BASIC SKILLS OF THE INMATES, AND TO CREATE A POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT IN THE PRISON. IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING PROGRAMS, THE PROJECT EMBARKED ON A PHYSICAL REHABILITATION OF FORMERLY DORMANT SECTIONS OF THE PRISON FOR USE AS CLASSROOMS AND OFFICES. THE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CONSISTED OF INTERVIEWS WITH STAFF AND INMATES, OBSERVATION OF THE PROGRAM, INSPECTION OF PROJECT RECORDS, AND AN ATTITUDE SURVEY OF BOARDS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PROJECT HAD CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PRISON MORAL, IN THE UPGRADING OF BASIC SKILLS OF THE STUDENTS, AN IN IMPROVING USE OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES. NO BASELINE DATA WAS AVAILABLE TO DETERMINE IMPROVEMENTS IN EMPLOYABILITY. ALTHOUGH THE EVALUATORS COULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THE TRAINING PROJECT HAD ANY IMPACT ON RECIDIVISM, DUE TO LACK OF BASELINE DATA, THEY DID NOTE THAT NONE OF THE INMATES WHO HAD COMPLETED THE ENTIRE COURSE OR EARNED THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE HAD BEEN SENTENCED OR RETURNED TO PRISON. MAJOR WEAKNESSES WERE NOTED IN THE PROGRAM'S JOB DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT. FOR THE FOLLOW-UP REPORT, SEE NCJ-27471.