NCJ Number
133692
Date Published
1988
Length
25 pages
Annotation
The Illinois Council on Vocational Education has developed nine recommendations for strengthening educational services in Illinois' correctional centers.
Abstract
A council committee generated and analyzed information from a variety of sources in order to provide a supporting rationale for correctional education in Illinois. This committee reviewed pertinent literature, visited institutions, conducted interviews, held hearings, conferred with State agency personnel, promoted research, and tapped the knowledge of recognized criminal justice authorities. Nine recommendations for improved correctional education services resulted: (1) an internal evaluation should be completed annually on academic and vocational programs offered in correctional centers; (2) external evaluations should be conducted every 5 years for each educational program; (3) correctional education should ensure that every inmate who completes a vocational program has life management skills; (4) a 5-year comprehensive plan for correctional education should be developed; (5) the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) should investigate the establishment of a vocational-technical center; (6) correctional education and correctional industries should devise a comprehensive plan for each institution whereby program graduates transfer into industry assignments; (7) the use of Federal funding for academic and vocational programs should continue to be explored; (8) correctional education should pursue incentive plans for students enrolled in educational programs; and (9) the DOC should conduct research and development projects in the areas of corrections, jails, probation, and community-based organizations for offender programs. 27 references