NCJ Number
70475
Date Published
1977
Length
107 pages
Annotation
This study examined vocational instructors' ratings of inmate students to determine if they would predict the students' postrelease adjustment to work.
Abstract
The 177 subjects were former students of vocational education programs who had been released from confinement and had returned to the communnity. Seven predictor variables were developed from teacher evaluations of students, and 11 criterion variables were selected from questionnaires returned by ex-students during a followup study. Individual variables were subjected to factor analysis. Two independent factors and two dependent factors emerged from the analysis. The factors were entered into a multiple regression analysis with prediction evident for one dependent fact, that of work history. Results showed that the relations between the student's future work status and his training was not predictable. Simply because a student exhibited a good attitude and was technically competent did not support the prediction that he would subsequently score high on variables indicating job relatedness. The attitudinal traits of incarcerated students were positively related to subsequent community behavior, however. Some pertinence was evident between the events of the student/teacher relationship and the students' later performance. This was amplified by the high intercorrelations of the teachers' rating of attitude and technical competence. Since other variables strongly influenced the results of the study, a strong implication exists for future research. Other exploratory models could furnish additional insights into the problem studied. Tabular data, about 50 references, selected teacher evaluation forms, and a followup questionnaire are included.