NCJ Number
142771
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1993) Pages: 20-26
Date Published
1993
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Previous studies have used recidivism rates, grades, and changes in psychological factors such as self-esteem as measures of the effectiveness of prison education programs, but this study argues that global faculty perceptions of the equivalence of prison education to traditional education may be another important indicator of educational program effectiveness.
Abstract
Study subjects included 67 faculty members (49 men and 18 women) currently teaching for the Consortium of the Niagara Frontier, a prison college program serving three prisons within a 60-mile radius of the Buffalo, New York, area. To assess perceived equivalence, faculty members were asked to rate whether the prison program provided an education equivalent to a traditional college education. Overall, findings indicated that faculty perceived correctional education to be equivalent to traditional education. Faculty member motivations to teach in the prison setting and perceived barriers to effective teaching within prisons are discussed, and suggestions are offered for improving prison education programs at the college level. 15 references and 6 tables