RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND THE RATE OF RECIDIVISM AMONG MEDIUM SECURITY PRISON PAROLEES AND MANDATORY SUPERVISION CASES FROM DRUMHELLER INSTITUTION IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA (CANADA)

• NCJ Number: 51134
• Author(s): G R INGALLS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 93 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRISON EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND RECIDIVISM RATES WAS STUDIED BY GATHERING DATA ON 128 MEN RELEASED FROM THE DRUMHELLER INSTITUTION IN 1973. THIS FOLLOWUP WAS CONDUCTED IN 1977.

Abstract

BECAUSE THE CANADIAN PRISON SYSTEM KEEPS UNIFIED PAROLE RECORDS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, IT WAS FELT THAT ANY RECIDIVISM WOULD BE NOTED REGARDLESS OF THE PROVINCE IN WHICH IT OCCURRED. IT WAS FOUND THAT 74 MEN HAD RECIDIVATED, 51 HAD NOT, AND 3 HAD DIED SINCE THE 1973 RELEASE DATE. A CHI SQUARE ANALYSIS AND A Z TEST WERE USED TO DETERMINE ANY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RACE, AGE, PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, TYPE OF CRIME, NUMBER OF PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, PARTICIPATION IN ACADEMIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, PARTICIPATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND PARTICIPATION IN BOTH ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS. A CONTINGENCY COEFFICIENT OR PHI COEFFICIENTS WERE COMPUTED DEPENDING ON THE DATA. THIS ANALYSIS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RECIDIVISM AND AGE, RACE, PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, TYPE OF CRIME, AND PARTICIPATION IN BOTH ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP EXISTED BETWEEN RECIDIVISM AND PARTICIPATION IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS (81 PERCENT OF RECIDIVISTS; 19 PERCENT OF NONRECIDIVISTS) WHILE A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP EXISTED FOR PARTICIPATION IN VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS (36.7 PERCENT OF RECIDIVISTS; 63.3 FOR NONRECIDIVISTS). DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THIS STUDY AND OTHERS WHICH HAVE FOUND AGE AND PRIOR CONVICTIONS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM ARE NOTED. FURTHER STUDY IS RECOMMENDED. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT A STUDY BE CONDUCTED WITH A CONTROL GROUP TO SEE IF SELECTION CRITERIA FOR VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS MAY BE A FACTOR IN RECIDIVISM. THE PAPER CONTAINS EXTENSIVE DATA FROM AN EARLIER STUDY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. CHARTS AND TABLES SUMMARIZE STATISTICAL DATA. AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)