NCJ Number
151541
Journal
Lay Panel Magazine Volume: 32 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 9-14
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A program known as Working-Out has been introduced at the Young Offenders Centre (YOC) in Hydebank, Northern Ireland, to help young offenders establish good working habits and give them the skills and confidence they need to obtain employment after release.
Abstract
In order to participate in the program, the young offender must be serving at least a 12-month sentence and must have progressed through the YOC's graduated regime. The next step is placement in a community setting where the young offender undertakes voluntary, unpaid work. The final step involves placement under the Action for Community Employment Program. The Working-Out Program is part of a comprehensive approach that seeks to alter the attitudes and behavior of young offenders. The program appears to have made a positive contribution to young offender behavior and quality of life. In addition, the program is innovative in that it is part of the offender's sentence, it is directly organized by prison and probation staff, and it is integrated with other training opportunities in the YOC. The program provides a cost-effective way of rehabilitating up to 15 young offenders at a time. Recommendations to enhance the Working-Out Program are offered.