WISCONSIN - DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS - MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAM - PRACTICAL OUTCOME EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 44270
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 52 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-03-12-S-2696-6
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Wisconsin Dept of Corrections
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES OF A PROGRAM AIMED AT PROVIDING INMATES WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE PLANNING SKILLS SELF-DIRECTION ARE EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE MUTUAL AGREEMENT PROGRAM (MAP), IMPLEMENTED STATEWIDE IN WISCONSIN IN THE FALL OF 1973, PROVIDES A VEHICLE FOR COORDINATED, PLANNED INVOLVEMENT IN ALL PHASES OF ADULT INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONAL SERVICES BY RESIDENTS, PROGRAM REVIEW COORDINATORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, PROBATION AND PAROLE AGENTS, INSTITUTION REPRESENTATIVES, PAROLE BOARD MEMBERS, AND THE MAP COORDINATOR. THE MAP PROCESS BEGINS WITH THE PREPARATION OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM FOR EACH MAP RESIDENT. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS REVIEWED BY THE INSTITUTIONS AND PERSONS AFFECTED. RESIDENTS NEGOTIATE FOR DEFINITE PAROLE DATES IN EXCHANGE FOR MEETING OBJECTIVES RELATED TO JOB SKILLS, EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE, PERSONAL MANAGEMENT, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF RELEASE PREPARATION. WHEN ALL CONDITIONS ARE AGREED UPON, THE RESIDENT'S NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT BECOMES A LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT, WITH THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO MEET CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS. PERIODIC REVIEWS AND EVALUATIONS ARE PERFORMED, AND CONTRACTS MAY BE RENEGOTIATED OR CANCELLED. THE PROCESS EVALUATION FOCUSES ON THE IMPACT OF MAP ON PRISON ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. THE OUTCOME EVALUATION FOCUSES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MAP PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR USE OF INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES AND ON PERFORMANCE BY MAP RESIDENTS AND OTHER RESIDENTS BEFORE AND AFTER RELEASE. APPROXIMATELY 92 PERCENT OF MAP PARTICIPANTS WERE INVOLVED IN PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY INSTITUTION STAFF. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY FOR MAP CONTRACT SIGNERS WAS 18.9 MONTHS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 13.4 MONTHS SERVED PRIOR TO SIGNING MAP CONTRACTS. FIRST-RELEASED MAP CONTRACT SIGNERS SERVED 48.1 PERCENT OF THEIR SENTENCES, COMPARED WITH 60.3 PERCENT FOR PAROLEES WITH CANCELLED MAP CONTRACTS, 54.1 PERCENT FOR PAROLEES WHO BEGAN THE MAP PROCESS BUT DID NOT SIGN CONTRACTS, AND 50.4 PERCENT FOR THOSE WHO HAD NO INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MAP PROGRAM. LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN SUCCESS RATES (I.E., NO RETURN TO STATE CORRECTIONS INSTITUTIONS DURING THE FOLLOWUP PERIOD) IS FOUND FOR FIRST-RELEASED MAP, NON-MAP, AND NO-CONTRACT GROUPS RELEASED IN 1975. THE RELEASED GROUP WITH CANCELLED CONTRACTS HAD THE LOWEST SUCCESS RATE. SUPPORTING DATA AND DETAILS OF EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ARE PROVIDED.