DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO PAROLEES PROJECT RESEARCH EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 15596
• Author(s): D MILLER; D WALDORF
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 92 pages
• Contract Number(s): 01.01.17
• Sponsoring Agency: California Council on Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: Scientific Analysis Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STUDY RESULTS ON A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TEST THE UTILITY OF FINANCIAL AID AS A TOOL IN IMPROVING THE PAROLE ADJUSTMENT OF NEWLY RELEASED OFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE MAJOR GOAL OF THE PROGRAM WAS TO REDUCE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IN THE EARLY PAROLE PERIOD, THEREBY LOWERING RECIDIVISM. TWO GROUPS OF PAROLEES WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXPERIMENT. ONE GROUP WAS ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ON RELEASE, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP WAS INELIGIBLE. AFTER SIX MONTHS, NEARLY 80 PERCENT OF THE FINANCIALLY-AIDED GROUP REMAINED SUCCESSFULLY ON PAROLE AS COMPARED TO 71 PER CENT OF THOSE INELIGIBLE. AN ANALYSIS OF BACKGROUND VARIABLES AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO GROUPS SHOWED NOTHING WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE IN PAROLE SUCCESS RATES. IN FACT, MORE PAROLEES IN THE CONTROL GROUP FELL INTO SUBGROUPS WHICH HAVE TRADITIONALLY HAD LOWER RECIDIVISM. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE ENLARGED AND DUPLICATED TO INCLUDE MORE PAROLEES. THEY ALSO PROPOSED WAYS TO FUND THE PROGRAM AND SUGGEST THAT OTHER AVENUES BE FULLY EXPLORED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)