NCJ Number
218855
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 81-98
Date Published
2006
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates the research literature on adult educational programs and recidivism from the mid-1990s to the present.
Abstract
The evaluation found that adult offenders who participated in educational programs, such as Adult Basic Education, General Equivalency Degrees, and secondary education, were less likely to recidivate than their counterparts who did not participate in educational programming. Additionally, vocational training and postsecondary educational programs were also significantly linked to decreases in recidivism among offender participants. These findings indicate that educational programming meets the standards of “what works” in the field of offender rehabilitation. However, the authors caution that if decisionmakers want to maximize their resources for correctional programming, it will be necessary to match offenders with suitable programs and monitor the implementation and outcomes of treatment. Research methodology involved searching all relevant bibliographic sources for articles related to correctional programming that were published from 1995 through the fall of 2003. In order to select methodologically sound studies, the authors followed the principles set out by the University of Maryland. This process involved summarizing, integrating, and rating the studies according to the University of Maryland Scale for Scientific Rigor. Notes, references