NCJ Number
172195
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1997) Pages: 56-68
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the reasons for the demise of university education for inmates in Canada's prisons.
Abstract
The result of pioneering work at the University of Victoria (1972-1984) and a decade of innovative praxis at Simon Fraser University (1984-1993), Canada's prison education program attracted worldwide attention. The program consistently attracted a significant body of students, had shown success in reducing recidivism among its students, had spawned two important community-based projects that involved ex-offenders, and had contributed positively to the smooth running of several prisons for over two decades. It was thus cost-effective, productive, and cooperative. It was terminated, officially, because it was beset by financial constraints and shifting priorities. In the words of the Deputy Commissioner, "...as we identify and prioritize the needs of our offender population, we conclude that we must reallocate our scarce resources to priority needs such as programming for violent offenders and substance abusers which more directly targets the criminogenic factors facing offenders." There was no clear perception in the minds of policy-makers that inmate higher education was directly related to the modification of targeted criminal behaviors, such as violent behavior and substance abuse. The university curriculum survived a first attempt at termination in 1983 by having at hand research results based on the 1980 follow-up study that provided clear evidence of effectiveness. The program and its network in the community used that research to force a reassessment by the government and eventually re-instatement of the program. In 1993, however, no recent substantive evaluative research was available to counter the belief that inmate higher education was not central to correctional goals. The lesson that should be learned from what happened in Canada is that when contracting into government systems for the delivery of services, awareness of policy shifts is crucial, accountability a constant reality, and research into effectiveness and efficiency a necessity. 8 tables and 39 notes