NCJ Number
221275
Date Published
August 2003
Length
43 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of the outcomes of Pennsylvania's Long Distance Dads (LDD) Program, a character-based educational and support program at the State Correctional Institution at Albion designed to assist male inmates in the development of skills for being more involved and supportive fathers.
Abstract
The evaluation found minimal evidence that the LDD program improved inmates' fathering knowledge, attitudes, skills, and/or behaviors. Of the 20 measured outcomes, there were only 2 outcomes for which the experimental group (inmates who participated in the program) performed better than the control group (matched inmates who did not participate in the program). Still, the program is popular with inmates, as evidenced by an extensive waiting list; and of a random sample of participating inmates, approximately half reported gaining knowledge and skills from the program. Nine recommendations from the evaluation pertain to actions the institution could take to improve the LDD Program, and 18 recommendations pertain to ways the program itself could be improved. The report advises that a key element of any prison family life education program should be to address those aspects of the criminal personality that prevent engaging in positive family relationships. In the LDD program, trained inmate peer leaders facilitate the program in 12 weekly group sessions. Sessions focus on promoting responsible fatherhood and holistic parenting, as well as empowering fathers to assume emotional, moral, spiritual, psychological, and financial responsibility for their children during and after incarceration. During the 18-month evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from LDD participants and matched control inmates. Data were collected from 84 LDD participants and 60 controls at pretest. Forty-two participants and 47 controls took the posttest. Telephone interview were conducted with the caregivers of the LDD participants' children at pretest (n=37) and posttest (n=18). 11 tables