ORLEANS PARISH (LA) PRISON REHABILITATION - FINAL EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 61799
• Author(s): J L ASHCRAFT
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 45 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Louisiana Cmssn on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice; US Dept of Justice; New Orleans Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Corporate Author: New Orleans Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ORLEANS PARISH PRISON REHABILITATION PROGRAM, LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS, LA., IS DESCRIBED, HIGHLIGHTING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM A 28-MONTH EVALUATION STUDY.

Abstract

THE ORLEANS PROGRAM, OPERATIONAL SINCE 1975, IS ASSESSED THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1978. INITIALLY, THE PROGRAM BEGAN IN THE OLD PARISH PRISON AFTER A 1972 COURT ORDER MANDATED THAT PRISON CONDITIONS BE IMPROVED. THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZED COUNSELING, CLASSIFICATION OF INMATES FOR PLACEMENT, EDUCATION, AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM'S LONG TERM GOAL WAS THE REDUCTION OF RECIDIVISM, THE LANGUAGE OF SUBSEQUENT GRANT APPLICATIONS ALTERED THE PRIMARY GOAL TOWARD MORE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS, SUCH AS SERVICE DELIVERY AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT. THUS, THIS STUDY ASSESSES THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES AND PROVIDES A COMPARISON OF SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE OLD SETTING AS OPPOSED TO THE NEW PRISON SETTING, WHICH OPENED IN AUGUST 1977. DURING THE EVALUATION PERIOD, 1,298 INMATES WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE CLASSIFICATION UNIT; OF THOSE, 77 PERCENT WERE PLACED IN ONE OR MORE OF THE VARIOUS PROGRAM COMPONENTS. THE AVERAGE PARTICIPANT WAS A 26-YEAR OLD BLACK MALE. WHEN THE PROGRAM WAS LOCATED IN THE OLD PRISON, THE AVERAGE MONTHLY NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS WAS 46, WITH 35 ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO PROGRAMS; STATISTICS FOR THE NEW FACILITY WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING SESSIONS ATTENDED DECREASED WITH THE MOVE TO THE NEW PRISON, WHILE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF EDUCATION CLASSES ATTENDED INCREASED BY 9 DAYS. WITHIN THE EDUCATION COMPONENT, THESE EXPECTATIONS REGARDING PARTICIPANT ACHIEVEMENT WERE MET. A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, AND THE CURRENT RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM SHOULD BE IMPROVED. ALSO, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TESTING SHOULD BE SCHEDULED AT SPECIFIC INTERVALS BASED ON HOURS OF INSTRUCTION OR OTHER RELEVANT CRITERIA. FOOTNOTES, TABULAR DATA, AND AN APPENDIX ARE INCLUDED.. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).