NCJ Number
45741
Date Published
1978
Length
30 pages
Annotation
STATISTICS RELATING TO THE SUCCESS OF THE MATCH-TWO (M-2) PROGRAM, REASONS FOR M-2 CLIENTS' FAVORABLE PAROLE OUTCOME, CHARACTERISTICS OF SPONSORS AND PARTICIPANTS, AND THE KIND OF INFLUENCE OFFERED ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE M-2 PROGRAM MATCHES AN INMATE WITH A VOLUNTEER FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO PLEDGES TO MAKE REGULAR VISITS TO THE MATCHED INMATE IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP CONDUCIVE TO MUTUAL GROWTH AND CHANGE. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE M-2 PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED, AND A SUMMARY OF EXISTING RESEARCH BEARING ON THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM IS PRESENTED. STATISTICS INCLUDED INDICATE THAT M-2 CLIENTS HAD A 12-MONTH FAVORABLE PAROLE OUTCOME (NO RECIDIVISM), 8 PERCENT HIGHER THAN NONCLIENTS. OF THE REASONS HYPOTHESIZED FOR THIS PAROLE SUCCESS AMONG M-2 CLIENTS, PREVIOUS CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY AND M-2 RESEARCH STUDIES SHOW THAT THE SINGLE MOST DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND NONCLIENT WAS THE ONE-TO-ONE VISITS FROM A SPONSOR IN THE COMMUNITY. M-2 INMATES GENERALLY HAVE MORE LENGTHY PRISON SENTENCES, MORE PRISON COMMITMENTS, AND HAVE BEEN COMMITTED FOR MORE AND NUMEROUS SERIOUS CRIMES THAN THE GENERAL PRISON POPULATION. RESULTS FROM A RESEARCH STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ARE REPORTED TO SHOW A CONSISTENT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF VISITS TO 'MATCHED' INMATES BY COMMUNITY SPONSORS AND THE PAROLE SUCCESS OF THOSE INMATES. INMATES WHOSE SPONSOR VISITED ONLY ONCE WERE 58 PERCENT FAVORABLE ON PAROLE OVER A PERIOD OF 2 YEARS, WHILE INMATES VISITED 2 TO 4 TIMES BY THE SAME SPONSOR WERE 74 PERCENT FAVORABLE. A SURVEY OF COMMUNITY SPONSORS TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF VISITS MADE TO SPECIFIC INMATES AND THE FEELINGS EXPERIENCED BY THE SPONSOR WHILE VISITING DEMONSTRATES THAT IT WAS NOT THE 'COMFORTABLENESS' OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT PRODUCED PAROLE SUCCESS, SINCE DESPITE THE DISSIMILAR OUTLOOKS, A CONSISTENTLY VISITING SPONSOR HAD AN INMATE WHO WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL ON PAROLE. M-2 ENCOURAGES SPONSORS TO ALSO BECOME INVOLVED IN THEIR INMATES REENTRY NEEDS, BY PICKING THEM UP AT THE INSTITUTION WHEN RELEASED, HELPING THEM IN FINDING A JOB, AND PROVIDING OTHER SERVICES DICTATED BY SPECIFIC SITUATIONS. THE RESULTS OF A STUDY ARE REPORTED TO SHOW THAT WHEN A SPONSOR CONTINUES A RELATIONSHIP INTO THE PAROLE PERIOD, THE INMATE'S PAROLE SUCCESS WILL PROBABLY BE HIGHER. THE APPENDIX INCLUDES A SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO SPONSORS TO DETERMINE THEIR CONTACT WITH THE INMATE DURING THE PAROLE PERIOD, A SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO SPONSORS WHO VISITED INMATE LESS THAN FOUR TIMES, DEFINITIONS OF PAROLE OUTCOME FOR MALE FELONS, OUTCOME FOR MALE FELONS AND M-2 CLIENTS, AND 1975 TWELVE-MONTH PAROLE OUTCOME BY CRIME OF LAST COMMITMENT.