NCJ Number
95891
Editor(s)
H E Pecht
Date Published
1983
Length
147 pages
Annotation
The 13 papers in this volume address several aspects of corrections education, including innovative methods to teach both juvenile and adult inmates, work versus academic programs, the impact of budget restrictions, and staff training.
Abstract
Several papers focus on educational programs for juvenile offenders, describing a successful alternative education program for serious delinquents aged 14-17, the inadequacy of services for handicapped juveniles in correctional facilities, and a method for individualizing instruction for mildly handicapped juveniles. One essay reviews correctional programs that integrate prison work and academic skills, while another analyzes the decline of study release in recent years. Theories concerning the different ways that individuals learn are explained and adapted to the correctional setting. A Canadian paper suggests that an understanding of crime causes can improve correctional officers' attitudes toward work, while another report advocates the involvement of line staff in planning inservice training sessions. A case study of educational programs in San Diego's detention facilities documents the negative impact of budget reductions and a shift to a retributionist philosophy. Other papers describe the benefits of teaching college social work courses to inmates and incorporating moral development theory into inmate programs. The final presentation surveys the first 2 years of the Department of Education's Corrections Program. Abstracts and references accompany most papers.