PENNSYLVANIA - AN EVALUATION OF THE PRE-RELEASE PROGRAMS OF THE STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT PITTSBURG

• NCJ Number: 48819
• Author(s): G F SANDERS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 80 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURG - MASTERS DISSERTATION

Annotation

THE CRITERIA FOR GRANTING INMATES PRERELEASE STATUS, OPINIONS OF INMATES, EX-INMATES, AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF ABOUT PRERELEASE PROGRAMS, AND THEIR IMPACT ON POSTINCARCERATION ADJUSTMENT ARE EXAMINED.

Abstract

THE HISTORY, GENERAL CONCEPT, AND PURPOSES OF PRERELEASE PROGRAMS ARE CONSIDERED BRIEFLY. THE SPECIFIC INSTITUTION STUDIED HAS PRERELEASE FURLOUGH PROGRAMS, WHERE AN INMATE IS ALLOWED TEMPORARY LEAVE FROM THE INSTITUTION AND RETURNS WITHIN A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 7 DAYS. IT ALSO USES THE COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER, WHERE THE INMATE IS TRANSFERRED TO A PROGRAM OPERATED UNDER THE SEPARATE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT SERVICE DIVISION FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS SENTENCE. AN EXAMINATION WAS MADE OF THE INMATE CASE FILES AND SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH INMATES IN THE SAMPLE TO DETERMINE THEIR OPINIONS OF THE PROGRAMS. THE STAFF OF THE INSTITUTION PROVIDED A LIST OF MEN WHO WOULD BE COMING UP FOR PRERELEASE CONSIDERATION WITHIN A TIME SPAN OF 3 TO 4 MONTHS AND A LIST OF MEN WHO ALREADY HAD BEEN CONSIDERED FOR PRERELEASE. THE LATTER LIST WAS DIVIDED INTO 5 CATEGORIES: FURLOUGH STATUS; HAD FURLOUGHS BUT NOW ON PAROLE; AT A COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER (CSC); WAS AT A CSC BUT NOW ON PAROLE; AND REFUSED PRERELEASE. A RANDOM SAMPLE WAS DRAWN FROM EACH OF THE CATEGORIES TO COMPOSE A TOTAL SAMPLE OF 133 MEN. OF THE TOTAL SAMPLE, 62 WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THE STUDY. COUNSELORS INVOLVED IN THE PRERELEASE PROGRAMS, THE PAROLE AGENTS, AND JUDGES ALSO WERE QUESTIONED CONCERNING THE PRERELEASE PROGRAMS. BACKGROUNDS OF THE OFFENDER SUBJECTS WERE CORRELATED WITH SELECTION FOR PRERELEASE. FOR THE ENTIRE SUBSAMPLE OF INMATES AND PAROLEES INTERVIEWED, THE PRERELEASE PROGRAMS WERE RATED AT AN AVERAGE OF 5 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10. FIRST OFFENDERS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES, WITH EMPLOYABLE SKILLS, AND WHO PARTICIPATE IN INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE CHOSEN FOR THE PRERELEASE PROGRAMS. OFFENDERS IN THIS CATEGORY ALSO GENERALLY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE LESS OF A SECURITY RISK. THOSE WITH LONG HISTORIES OF INCARCERATION AND POOR VOCATIONAL SKILLS WERE LEAST LIKELY TO BE SELECTED FOR PRERELEASE. IT WAS FOUND THAT MANY OF THE STAFF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAMS ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THEM. QUESTIONS USED IN INTERVIEWS, DATA GATHERED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)