PROFILE OF CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN PROGRAM COMPLETERS AND PROGRAM NON-COMPLETERS IN MASSACHUSETTS' PRE-RELEASE CENTERS

• NCJ Number: 30598
• Author(s): D P LECLAIR
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 43 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CHARACTERISTICS OF 137 PROGRAM COMPLETERS AND 91 PROGRAM NON-COMPLETERS WERE COMPARED TO DETERMINE THOSE VARIABLES WHICH COULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS FOR PROGRAM SELECTION OR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES.

Abstract

PRE-RELEASE CENTERS ARE SMALL RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF THE WALLED INSTITUTIONS TO WHICH STATE PRISONERS WHO ARE WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF THEIR PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE ARE ABLE TO BE TRANSFERRED. THEIR PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW A GRADUAL PROCESS OF SOCIETAL REINTEGRATION FOR PRISONERS. DATA WAS COLLECTED ON PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE BOSTON STATE AND SHIRLEY PRE-RELEASE CENTERS. A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS USING COMMITMENT, PERSONAL BACKGROUND, AND CRIMINAL HISTORY VARIABLES ON EACH PARTICIPANT WAS CARRIED OUT. THE BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS WERE USED AS INDEPENDENT VARIABLES, AND THE INCIDENT OF COMPLETION VERSUS NONCOMPLETION WAS USED AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE FOR THIS ANALYSIS. THE COMPARISON OF COMMITMENT, PERSONAL BACKGROUND AND CRIMINAL HISTORY VARIABLES FOR THE BOSTON STATE PROGRAM COMPLETERS VERSUS NON-COMPLETERS YIELDED 9 VARIABLES THAT PRODUCED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ON OUTCOME. THESE VARIABLES WERE SUMMARIZED IN THE FOLLOWING PROFILE: AT THE BOSTON STATE PRE-RELEASE CENTER INDIVIDUALS WHO FAILED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE PROGRAM TENDED TO BE THE YOUNGER OFFENDERS; OFFENDERS WITH LONG COURT RECORDS, LARGELY CONSISTING OF NARCOTIC OFFENSES AND/OR OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY, AND OFFENDERS WHOSE INCARCERATION AND PAROLE HISTORIES BEGAN ON THE JUVENILE LEVEL. THE PROGRAM NON-COMPLETER HAD A MORE SEVERELY SPORADIC EMPLOYMENT HISTORY THAN DID THE PROGRAM COMPLETER. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROGRAM NON-COMPLETER HAD A LONGER WAIT UNTIL LEGALLY ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE AND THUS A POTENTIALLY LONGER STAY AT THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER. THE COMPARISON BETWEEN SHIRLEY PROGRAM COMPLETERS AND PROGRAM NON-COMPLETERS YIELDED FIVE VARIABLES THAT PRODUCED STATISTICAL DIFFERENCES. THESE VARIABLES ARE SUMMARIZED IN THE FOLLOWING PROFILE: THE TYPICAL PROGRAM NONCOMPLETER AT SHIRLEY WHEN COMPARED TO THE PROGRAM COMPLETER WAS FOUND TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A LONGER COURT RECORD, ESPECIALLY INVOLVING OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON, WHOSE PRIOR INCARCERATION HISTORY BEGAN AT THE JUVENILE LEVEL, AND WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED BOTH JUVENILE AND ADULT PAROLES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)