POST-RELEASE OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS IN PRISON TRAINING PROGRAMS - A STUDY

• NCJ Number: 67647
• Author(s): R MASON; A SEIDLER; H M LOWRY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 53 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Oregon Dept of Education
• Corporate Author: Oregon State University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY DETERMINED POSTRELEASE OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS IN PRISON VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN OREGON.

Abstract

RESEARCHERS INTERVIEWED 122 MALE RESPONDENTS, 47 OF WHOM WERE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAMS, 3 YEARS AFTER THEIR RELEASE. THE VARIABLES INCLUDED AGE, INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT, EDUCATION, PARTICIPATION IN PRISON TRAINING, TYPE AND INSTITUTION OF RELEASE, AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND HISTORY. THE RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR POSTRELEASE ACTIVITIES AND THEIR EVALUATIONS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMS. ALTHOUGH 75 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS OBTAINED SALARIED POSITIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER RELEASE, THIS FIGURE DROPPED TO 55 PERCENT 3 YEARS LATER. RESPONDENTS RETURNING TO JAIL INCREASED STEADILY FROM 5 PERCENT TO 30 PERCENT, AND THOSE ATTENDING SCHOOL DROPPED FROM 16 PERCENT IN 1974 TO NONE IN 1977. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THE EX-INMATE WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS AND PRISON TRAINING HAS MORE STABLE WORK PATTERNS AND STAYS OUT OF PRISON LONGER THAN ONE WITHOUT THESE ATTRIBUTES. ALSO, PARTICIPANTS WITH LARGE FREQUENCIES OF CONVICTIONS AND TRUST VIOLATIONS HAVE POOR WORK RECORDS AND RETURN EARLY TO PRISON, WHILE INMATES WHO HAVE ATTENDED A PRISON EDUCATION PROGRAM AND HAVE NO TRUST VIOLATIONS HAVE SUPERIOR WORK RECORDS. FROM 80 TO 85 PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT COMPLETION OF PRISON EDUCATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH POSTRELEASE SUCCESS. PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS ALSO AGREED THAT PRISON TRAINING TEACHES A SKILL, PROVIDES PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE, USES TIME CONSTRUCTIVELY, AND KEEPS INMATES OCCUPIED. HOWEVER, PARTICIPANTS FELT THAT MANY PROGRAMS ARE NOT RELEVANT, ARE OUTDATED, AND ARE UNHELPFUL TO THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE. THE EFFECTS OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING WERE NOT TESTED BECAUSE THE SAMPLE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS TOO SMALL. OVERALL, INMATES WITH A STABLE FAMILY BACKGROUND OR DEPENDENTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN PRISON TRAINING. PROGRAMS SHOULD RELATE CURRICULUM AND TEACHING TO APPRENTICESHIP OR JOBS OUTSIDE THE PRISON, AND SHOULD ESTABLISH A SYSTEM TO TRACE GRADUATES OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING. TABLES, REFERENCES, AND GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)