NCJ Number
179461
Date Published
1998
Length
75 pages
Annotation
Data from a sample of 6,074 of Canada's Federal offenders who took part in the adult basic education (ABE) program between 1988-99 and 1993-94 were used to study the effectiveness of the education in meeting offender needs and contributing to offender reintegration; the data covered a follow-up period of at least 24 months.
Abstract
The offenders in the sample were slightly younger than the general release population, were proportionally more likely to be serving their first Federal term, and were more likely to have a sentence for a violent crime. The participants generally had a very poor school background. Inmate satisfaction with ABE was above average in comparison with satisfaction with other core inmate programs. Inmates also expressed greater satisfaction with the intrinsic literacy aspect than with the skill training part of ABE. Inmates who completed an ABE-8 program started with a score of Grade 6.6 and achieved a final level of Grade 9.4, for a 42 percent improvement. Those who failed to complete ABE-8 had an average starting score of Grade 4.9 and an average final score of 6.1, for a 25 percent improvement. The grade-level gain had a modest but significant impact on offender release programs. The study sample was a group with higher than average risk in comparison to the general inmate population; program completers experienced improvements of 5-30 percent in their rates of readmission. Findings indicated that ABE participation provides significant benefits for offenders and contributes to their safe reintegration into the community. Tables, figures, footnotes, and 23 references