NCJ Number
198467
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 146-149
Date Published
December 2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines a program developed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rehabilitate inmates while providing them with opportunities to obtain skills that will aid them in their ability to readjust to their community following release.
Abstract
The article evaluates a new Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) program. The Inmate Placement Program provides educational and vocational training to inmates so that they are better qualified to find jobs upon release. After arguing that the Inmate Placement Program fills a gap in the prison rehabilitation system by providing assistance to prisoners in order to facilitate their transition from prison life to the outside world, the author contends that other prison education programs merely focus on the teaching of a few jobs skills while inmates are still in prison. Describing the mock job fair as a core activity of the Inmate Placement Program, the author argues that this voluntary program enables prisoners to learn how to address difficult questions concerning their prison histories. Focusing on the challenges of organizing the mock job fair, the author contends that convincing outside employers to participate in the program is the greatest difficulty faced by prison officials. Discussing the central event of the mock job fair as the job placement interview, it noted that as of January 2002, over 7,000 prisoners had been through the Inmate Placement Program in 160 job fairs. Although it is still too early to assess the program’s impact on recidivism, there is ample room to expand the Inmate Placement Program provided that the job fair program demonstrates significant results. References