NCJ Number
178769
Journal
Criminology Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Dated: August 1999 Pages: 515-540
Date Published
1999
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article assesses the effects of high school educational experiences on the risk of incarceration for young men aged 19-36.
Abstract
The article used event history analysis and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data. Young men who enrolled in secondary occupational course work significantly reduced their likelihood of incarceration both overall and net of differences in the adult labor market. High school student/teacher ratios and student composition also significantly affected an individual’s risk of incarceration. Differences between white and African American incarceration rates also were associated with student exposure to varying types of high school settings. Findings have implications for social policy, i.e., investing increased resources to lower class size and providing more expensive, occupationally relevant curriculums reduces the long-term societal costs of incarcerating adults; and providing greater opportunities for adolescents to attach themselves to conventional activities during high school decreases the likelihood of adult incarceration. Tables, notes, references, appendix