NCJ Number
68663
Date Published
1972
Length
74 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT OF THE OFFENDER AID AND RESTORATION (OAR) EVALUATION PROJECT COVERS THE PERIOD AUGUST 16, 1972, TO NOVEMBER 15, 1972, IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
Abstract
THE STUDY TRIED TO MEASURE THE EXTENT TO WHICH OAR OFFENDERS WERE REHABILITATED. THE REPORT DISCUSSES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF JAIL INMATES AND OF OAR OFFENDERS, THE NUMBER OF OAR VOLUNTEERS, THE SELECTION PROCESS, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VOLUNTEERS. THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OFFENDERS AND OAR VOLUNTEERS AND CHANGES IN THE JAILS ARE ALSO EXAMINED. DATA WERE GATHERED BY MEANS OF THREE INSTRUMENTS. THE INITIAL OFFENDER INTERVIEW SCHEDULE WAS USED TO GATHER DATA ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIAL, OCCUPATIONAL, AND RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENDERS. THE INITIAL VOLUNTEER QUESTIONNAIRE ELICITED SIMILAR DATA FOR THE OAR VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS ON THEIR MORALE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD CORRECTIONS. THE THIRD INSTRUMENT, USED TO GATHER DATA ON THE CONTENT OF VOLUNTEER OFFENDER RELATIONSHIPS, WAS THE QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIP INTERVIEW CHECKLIST. DATA SHOWED THAT 87 PERCENT OF ALL OAR OFFENDERS WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 35 AND 89 PERCENT OF ALL OAR OFFENDERS WERE MALE. A TOTAL OF 40 PERCENT WERE NONWHITE (MOST WERE BLACK). MORE OF THE OAR VOLUNTEERS WERE PROFESSIONALS, WHILE MOST OF THE OAR OFFENDERS HAD LESS THAT A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION AND ABOUT HALF WERE BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS. THE REPORT NOTED THAT OAR HAD REACHED 85 PERCENT OF ITS RECRUITMENT GOAL OF VOLUNTEERS. CONCERNING THE TYPE AND QUALITY OF OFFENDER-VOLUNTEER RELATIONSHIPS, 44 PERCENT OF THE VOLUNTEERS CONSIDERED THEIR OFFENDER A FRIEND. AMONG THE RELATIONSHIPS EXAMINED, THE MOST COMMON SORT OF ASSISTANCE GIVEN THE OFFENDERS BY THE VOLUNTEERS WAS LIAISON WITH THE GENERAL COMMUNITY, THEREBY REDUCING THE ISOLATION OF THE OFFENDER. THE REPORT INCLUDES DATA TABLES AND FOOTNOTES.