Vocational and Academic Indicators of Parole Success

• NCJ Number: 123340
• Journal: Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 8-13
• Author(s): R E Schumacker; D B Anderson; S L Anderson
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared adult releasees who had vocational/academic training to a control group of releasees who did not receive vocational training.

Abstract

A fourth group, those releasees who received only academic coursework while incarcerated, was also studied. All 19 adult correctional institutions in a midwestern state were involved in providing releasee information, as was every Parole District. A total of 760 releasees was studied for twelve months. A data collection instrument was designed to gather relevant information on background variables, vocational enrollment and completion, academic background, employment, and violation status over the twelve month period. Personnel at the correctional institutions completed background, vocational, and educational information on inmates selected for the study. A stratified, proportional random sampling procedure was used to select and equate inmate groups. Data collection instruments were then forwarded to the proper parole office, where Parole Officers recorded month by month status of each releasee during the time on parole, up to twelve months. The vocational and vocational/academic groups had the highest employment rates and the lowest criminal activity rates after twelve months of tracking. The control group had the highest criminal activity rate. Vocational completers were those who finished a vocational course of instruction. When compared with vocational non-completers, data indicated that vocational completers had a higher employment rate and fewer arrests. The vocational non-completers, however, still had a higher employment and fewer arrests than the control group. The academic group had the lowest employment rate and second highest criminal activity rate at twelve months. Those who completed a GED or higher had a higher employment rate and lower criminal activity rate at twelve months than those releasees who had less than a GED. The completion of a GED or higher increased post-release success over those with less than a GED. 4 tables, 21 references. (Author abstract)