NCJ Number
56360
Date Published
1978
Length
255 pages
Annotation
THE THRESHOLDS PROGRAM, A PRISON-DEVELOPED PROGRAM TO HELP INMATES TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN DECISIONS AND THEIR LIVES, IS DESCRIBED, AND ITS IMPACT IN THE DELAWARE COUNTY, PA., PRISON IS ASSESSED.
Abstract
THE THRESHOLDS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF A LITERACY PROGRAM BY AN INMATE IN ORLEANS PARISH PRISON IN LOUISIANA. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO GIVE INMATES NOT ONLY AWARENESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE BUT ALSO OF THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND ESCAPE THEIR SELF-IMAGE AS VICTIMS OF SOCIETY. IN DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON THE LITERACY COMPONENT HAS BEEN DROPPED AND TEACHERS WORK WITH INMATES TO DEVELOP THEIR FEELINGS OF SELF-CONFIDENCE, THEIR ABILITY TO ASSESS SITUATIONS AND DEVELOP OPTIONS, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR LIVES. THE FIRST PART OF THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL. THE SECOND PART EXAMINES 52 INMATES WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND 39 WHO DID NOT. CHARACTERISTICS WHICH DISTINGUISH THE TWO GROUPS ARE EXAMINED, AND REASONS FOR DROPPING THE PROGRAM ARE DETERMINED. THE FINAL SECTION USES A PRETEST, POSTTEST, CONTROL GROUP DESIGN TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON 13 INMATES WHO COMPLETED IT, COMPARED WITH 8 WHO EXPRESSED INTEREST BUT WHO WERE TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE PREVENTED FROM STARTING THE PROGRAM. BECAUSE OF THE SMALLNESS OF THE SAMPLE, TRUE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED. HOWEVER, RESPONSES TO PSYCHOLOGICAL QUESTIONNAIRES, INTERVIEWS WITH PARTICIPANTS, AND ANCEDOTES FROM TEACHERS ALL INDICATE THAT PROBLEMSOLVING SKILLS INCREASED. MANY INMATES WERE ASTONISHED TO SEE HOW THEY HAD LET CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATE THEIR LIVES. MANY TOOK POSITIVE STEPS TO CHANGE. OF 26 WHO COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND WERE RELEASED, 21 HAD NOT BEEN RECONVICTED EVEN THOUGH 13 HAD HISTORIES OF DRUG ADDICTION OR ALCOHOLISM. APPENDIXES PRESENT PORTIONS OF THE TEACHERS' MANUAL, SAMPLE TEACHING MATERIALS, A DESCRIPTION OF A TYPICAL SESSION, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (GLR)