PAROLEE REINTEGRATION PROJECT - PROGRESS REPORT TO THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION. REV. ED.

• NCJ Number: 17861
• Author(s): M M FEELEY
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 17 pages
• Grant Number(s): A72-8000-68001
• Sponsoring Agency: Connecticut Dept of Correction
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER INCREASED FINANCIAL RESOURCES CONTRIBUTE TO THE REDUCTION OF RECIDIVISM AMONG NEWLY RELEASED PAROLEES.

Abstract

THIS PROGRESS REPORT OUTLINES THE ASSUMPTIONS AND PURPOSES OF THIS EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT, DESCRIBES ITS DESIGN AND OPERATION, AND DISCUSSES SOME TENTATIVE AND PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE EVALUATION EFFORT. THE BASIS FOR THE EVALUATION OF THIS EXPERIMENT IS THE COMPARISON OF THE POST-RELEASE BEHAVIOR OF ONE (EXPERIMENTAL) GROUP WHICH RECEIVED INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT WITH ANOTHER (CONTROL) GROUP WHICH DID NOT. POST-RELEASE BEHAVIOR OF THE PAROLEES IN BOTH TYPES OF GROUPS WAS MEASURED BY INDICATORS REFERRING TO VARIABLES MENTIONED IN THE INITIAL ASSUMPTIONS. THOSE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE ALLOTED A TOTAL OF $470.00, IN THE FORM OF AN INITIAL PAYMENT OF $110.00 UPON RELEASE AND FOUR ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS OF $90.00 EACH AT TWO WEEK INTERVALS. PERSONS WHO FLED THE JURISDICTION OR WERE REARRESTED WERE AUTOMATICALLY TERMINATED FROM CONTINUED PARTICIPATION. THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED TO RECEIVED ONLY THE STANDARD $20.00 UPON RELEASE. A SECOND CONTROL GROUP WAS IDENTIFIED AND RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $50.00 UPON RELEASE. A STANDARD POST-TEST-ONLY CONTROL GROUP DESIGN WAS UTILIZED. ORDER OF RELEASE WAS USED AS A MEANS FOR SELECTING THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. FOLLOW-UP OF POST RELEASE BEHAVIOR COMMENCED APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST PAROLEE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS RELEASED. MONTHLY FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION WAS DRAWN FROM PERIODIC REPORTS OF INDIVIDUAL PAROLE OFFICERS. A SUMMARY OF TRENDS AT THE END OF THE FIRST THREE MONTH PERIOD REVEALED THE FOLLOWING-1) THOSE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE PAROLEVIOLATION PROBLEMS THAN ARE THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. 2) THOSE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED FOR SERIOUS MISDEMEANORS OR FELONIES THAN ARE THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. 3) THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP ARE SLIGHTLY MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE POSITIVE ASSESSMENTS OF ADJUSTMENT FROM THEIR PAROLE OFFICERS THAN THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. 4) THOSE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED THAN ARE THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)