PRISONER EDUCATION - PROJECT NEWGATE AND OTHER COLLEGE PROGRAMS

• NCJ Number: 37547
• Author(s): M J SEASHORE; S HABERFELD; J IRWIN; K BAKER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 342 pages
• Sale Source: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

BOOK COMBINING OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (OEO) AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE (HEW) STUDIES OF EIGHT COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN FEDERAL AND STATE PRISONS.

Abstract

OF THESE EIGHT PROGRAMS, FIVE WERE NEWGATE PROJECTS OPERATING IN THE FEDERAL YOUTH CENTER IN ASHLAND, KENTUCKY; THE MINNESOTA STATE REFORMATORY IN ST. CLOUD; THE NEW MEXICO STATE PRISON IN SANTA FE; THE OREGON STATE PRISON IN SALEM; AND THE ROCKVIEW STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA. IN ADDITION TO FIVE NEWGATE PROGRAMS, THREE OTHER PRISON COLLEGE PROGRAMS, WHICH VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE NEWGATE MODEL, WERE INCLUDED FOR PURPOSES OF COMPARISON. THESE PROGRAMS WERE LOCATED AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA; THE ILLINOIS STATE PENITENTIARY-MENARD BRANCH; AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, EASTHAM UNIT. THE PROGRAM PROCESS WAS EVALUATED BY VISITING THE PROJECT SITES AT PERIODIC INTERVALS AND CONDUCTING EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH PROJECT ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS, PRISON GUARDS AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND PRISON INMATES. OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE OF ACTIVITIES IN THE CLASSROOMS, IN THE DESIGNATED PROJECT AREAS, AND IN THE TOTAL INSTITUTION. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO ALL PARTICIPANTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM INSIDE THE PRISON. IN ADDITION, A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FORMER PARTICIPANTS WHO HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON WAS SELECTED AT EACH PROJECT SITE FROM A LIST OF ALL PARTICIPANTS RELEASED FROM 1968-71 WHO HAD COMPLETED QUARTER UNITS IN THE INSIDE COLLEGE PROGRAM AND/OR HAD PARTICIPATED IN BOTH THE PRE-AND POST-RELEASE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE GENERAL TOPICS ADDRESSED BY THESE STUDIES INCLUDE THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE PROGRAMS OPERATING INSIDE PRISONS, THE EXTENT OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT BY THE INMATES, THE NATURE OF POSTPRISON EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS, EVALUATION OF PROGRAM IMPACT ON POSTPRISON PERFORMANCE, ANALYSIS OF COST AND BENEFITS, AND THE DESCRIPTION OF A MODEL PROGRAM. EXTENSIVE CASE STUDIES OF THE EIGHT PROGRAMS ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)