NCJ Number
46670
Date Published
1975
Length
136 pages
Annotation
IN THIS SECOND INDEPTH EVALUATION OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OFFERED INMATES OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, GRADUATES OF THREE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WERE INTERVIEWED.
Abstract
DESPITE INTENSIVE EFFORTS BY THE WINDHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE TEXAS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AT HUNTSVILLE, ONLY 63 FORMER INMATES, MALE AND FEMALE, WERE LOCATED AND INTERVIEWED FOR THIS FOLLOWUP STUDY CONDUCTED IN 1974. AN ADDITIONAL 24 INTERVIEWS WERE OBTAINED FROM INCARCERATED SUBJECTS. SINCE ABOUT 17,000 INMATES ATTEND THE VOCATIONAL CLASSES, THIS SAMPLE IS SMALL. HOWEVER, THOSE INTERVIEWED DURING THE 12- TO 18-MONTH FOLLOWUP INDICATED THAT THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THOSE WHO HAD ATTENDED THE WINDHAM SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAM WAS 13.3 PERCENT. RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS 12 PERCENT, AND 12 PERCENT FOR THE WORK FURLOUGH PROGRAM. THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THE CONTROLS WAS 24 PERCENT. THIS AGREES WITH DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FIGURES. AVERAGE TIME ELAPSED BETWEEN RELEASE AND FIRST JOB RANGED FROM A LOW OF 1.3 WEEKS FOR THE POSTSECONDARY GROUP, TO 4.2 WEEKS FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. MOST JOBS WERE OBTAINED THROUGH FAMILY, FRIENDS, OR INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS. VERY FEW JOBS WERE OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF EFFORTS BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. ABOUT HALF OF ALL THREE VOCATIONAL TRAINING GROUPS MOVED TO BETTER PAYING JOBS BY THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW. INSTRUCTION WAS RATED EXCELLENT OR GOOD BY 74 PERCENT OF THE WINDHAM VOCATIONAL GROUP AND OVER 90 PERCENT BY THE POSTSECONDARY GROUP. BASED ON THE SURVEY IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT: (1) THE TEXAS STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IMPROVE ITS PLACEMENT EFFORTS AND THAT GREATER ATTENTION BE PAID TO PLACING THE RELEASED OFFENDER IN A JOB RELATED TO THE TRAINING; (2) EVALUATION OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM BE CONTINUED; (3) INSTRUCTION IN MONEY MANAGEMENT, PERSONAL RELATIONS AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT-RELATED SKILLS BE OFFERED. THE FIRST PART OF THE REPORT DETAILS THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN TRACKING DOWN THE RELEASED OFFENDERS FOR AN INTERVIEW. IT ALSO INCLUDES A BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, AND CORRESPONDENCE. THE SECOND PART OF THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE METHODOLOGY OF THE FOLLOWUP AND COMPARES THE RESULTS OF THE 1973 SURVEY TO THIS ONE IN 1974. IN GENERAL, THE 1974 INTERVIEWEES GAVE THE TRAINING PROGRAMS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER RATINGS THAN THE PREVIOUS GROUP. THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TRAINING WERE MADE AS A RESULT OF THE 1973 SURVEY. TABULAR DATA IS PROVIDED. (GLR)