NCJ Number
38700
Date Published
1977
Length
75 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A DEPARTMENT OF LABOR-SPONSORED RESEARCH PROJECT THAT EXPLORED THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL AID JOB PLACEMENT ON THE POST RELEASE EXPERIENCE OF 432 EX-PRISON INMATES IN BALTIMORE (MD) FROM 1971 TO '74.
Abstract
THE MONOGRAPH REVIEWS THE RESULTS OF THE BALTIMORE EXPERIMENT AND ASSESSES THE INFLUENCE EXERTED BY FINANCIAL AID ON CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM, SOCIAL RELATIONS, PURCHASING PATTERNS, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PARTICIPANTS' POSTRELEASE BEHAVIOR. OF THE 432 MEN PARTICIPATING IN THE LIFE (LIVING INSURANCE FOR THE EX-PRISONERS) EXPERIMENT, ONE-FOURTH RECEIVED BOTH A WEEKLY STIPEND EQUIVALENT TO $60 FOR 13 WEEKS AND ASSISTANCE IN FINDING A JOB. ONE-FOURTH RECIEVED ONLY THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, ANOTHER FOURTH RECEIVED ONLY THE JOB SERVICE, AND THE REMAINDER NEITHER MONEY NOR EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT THE NUMBER OF MEN ARRESTED FOR CRIMES OF THEFT (AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF RETURNS TO PRISON) CAN BE REDUCED PERCEPTIBLY BY PROVIDING EX-INMATES WITH A SMALL WEEKLY INCOME, IN AMOUNTS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS, FOR A FEW MONTHS AFTER THEIR DEPARTURE FROM PRISON. A COPY OF THE PRERELEASE INTERVIEW USED IN THE STUDY AND A QUESTION BY QUESTION SUMMARY OF THE TABULATED RESPONSES IS APPENDED ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN.