NCJ Number
187042
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 320-323
Date Published
December 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the characteristics and effectiveness of technology education for convicted felons, with attention to the program at the New Hampshire State Prison.
Abstract
Inmates who enter a State prison vary in background and in social and educational level, from functionally illiterate to college graduates. At the New Hampshire State Prison, most entering inmates are evaluated by taking the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). The test is not mandatory, but most inmates take it. This and other tests aid in making classification recommendations for placement in academic and vocational/technical programs. Evaluations show that inmates who take advantage of educational programs while in prison apparently have a higher success rate upon release. Many current inmates have a variety of education and vocational/technical programs available to them, including college-level degree programs at some correctional institutions. Through the Technology Education program, the inmate-student, like his/her public school counterpart, is provided with an introduction to technology systems as well as a survey of the tools, materials, processes, and career paths used by the systems. A Technology Education program consists of a series of courses presented in four clusters: Communication Technology; Materials Processes Technology (Construction and Manufacturing); Energy, Power, and Transportation Technology; and Technology Practicum. Furthermore, those inmates who succeed in voluntary academic and vocational/technical programs seem to have a lower rate of recidivism than those inmates who do not. One common thread throughout articles reviewed was the lack of marketable skills in the general inmate populations studied. The grade level on average completed by inmates is the ninth grade. Studies have indicated that the recidivism rate can be as low as 10.8 percent for positively terminated inmates (those who successfully completed training) and as high as 70 percent or more for those who did not. Vocational/Technical education has emerged as a necessary component of public education. Vocational/Technical education has become a component of correctional education for the same reasons. 6 references