NCJ Number
13599
Date Published
1971
Length
168 pages
Annotation
SURVEY OF ADULT MALE PAROLEES TO DETERMINE WHAT THE OFFENDER BELIEVES TO BE HIS REHABILITATION NEEDS AND TO SEE WHAT PROBLEMS HE ENCOUNTERED UPON RELEASE.
Abstract
THE STUDY USED EX-OFFENDERS AS THE PRIMARY RESOURCE IN DETERMINING WHAT PAROLEES BELIEVE TO BE THEIR REHABILITATION NEEDS. EX-OFFENDERS WERE TRAINED IN INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES AND THEN INTERVIEWED A SAMPLE OF 60 ADULT MALE FELONS WHO WERE ON PAROLE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. THE REPORT CONTAINS A FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDENT OF EX-OFFENDER RESOURCES, INC., AND SELECTED INTERVIEWS WITH PAROLEES. THREE MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FROM THE FINDINGS ARE - 1) PAROLEES HAVE ACUTE PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL NEEDS. THEY LACK FINANCIAL SUPPORT UPON RELEASE AND ARE DISADVANTAGED IN THE JOB MARKET BECAUSE OF LIMITED EDUCATION AND SKILLS AND THE STIGMA OF BEING AN EX-CON. 2) PAROLEES HAVE NEITHER THE PERSONAL SUPPORT THAT TYPICALLY COMES FROM RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS IN MARRIAGE, AS MEMBERS OF WORK GROUPS AND FROM RELATIVES, NOR ARE THEY CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH MEMBERSHIP IN SOCIAL GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS. 3) PAROLEES ARE MIDDLE-CLASS ORIENTED AND ARE SEARCHING WITHIN THEMSELVES AND IN THEIR SOCIAL WORLD FOR WAYS TO BECOME CONNECTED WITH THE LARGER COMMUNITY. AMONG THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PROGRAMMING ARE - 1) THE BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS OF THE PAROLEE MUST FIRST BE MET. (HE SHOULD BE MADE ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR SIX MONTHS.) 2) SELF-HELP GROUPS OF EX-CONS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BE FORMED TO PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. 3) REHABILITATION MAY HAVE TO SHIFT FROM EMPHASIS UPON INDIVIDUAL ADJUSTMENT THROUGH THE CASEWORK APPROACH TO THE CREATION OF REHABILITATIVE SUBCULTURES DESIGNED TO RESOCIALIZE THE PAROLEE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)