NCJ Number
13992
Date Published
1974
Length
71 pages
Annotation
REPORT OF AN 18-MONTH POSTRELEASE FOLLOW-UP OF 142 YOUNG MALE OFFENDERS, FOCUSING ON THE MEASUREMENT OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORAL DEMOGRAPHY SUCH AS VOCATIONAL, CRIMINAL, SOCIAL, INTERPERSONAL, FAMILIAL, AND FINANCIAL FACTORS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS OF RELEASED OFFENDERS, AND TO FIND HOW THESE RELATE TO POSTRELEASE SUCCESS OR FAILURE. THE SECOND MAJOR PURPOSE WAS THE POSTRELEASE ASSESSMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING (MDT), TOKEN ECONOMIES, COMBINED MDT AND TOKEN ECONOMY, AND STATE TRADE SCHOOLS. A CONTROL GROUP RECEIVING NO TREATMENT WAS USED. SUBJECTS RECEIVED A SERIES OF BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS - ONE PRIOR TO RELEASE, ONE AT 3-6 MONTHS POSTRELEASE, AND ANOTHER AT 12-15 MONTHS POSTRELEASE. ENVIRONMENTAL INPUT WAS SPECIFICALLY ASSESSED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEPRIVATION SCALE (EDS), BEHAVIOR PATTERNS, BY THE MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR RECORD (MBR) AND THE WEEKLY ACTIVITY RECORD (WAR). AN INTERVIEW GUIDE (IG) STRUCTURED THE COLLECTION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. NO LARGE, HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT, OR CONSISTENT DIFFERENCES EMERGED AMONG THE EFFECTS OF THE SEVERAL INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT PROCEDURES. DETAILED ANALYSIS DID YIELD SOME SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES, E.G., MDT TRAINEES WORKED LONGER AND EARNED MORE MONEY IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS AFTER RELEASE THAN DID SUBJECTS IN THE OTHER GROUPS. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION APPEAR ESSENTIAL TO REHABILITATION OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENDER, BUT MUST BE COUPLED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING IN INTERPERSONAL (SOCIAL) SKILLS AND MONEY MANAGEMENT TO BE MAXIMALLY EFFECTIVE.