Correctional Education Programs On Post-Release Recidivism And Employment

Nally, John, with Susan Lockwood, Katie Knutson, and Taiping Ho

2012 An Evaluation of the Effect of Correctional Education Programs on Post-Release Recidivism and Employment: An Empirical Study in Indiana. The Journal of Correctional Education 63(1):69-89.

A significant number of ex-inmates are unemployed because they do not have adequate education and professional skills in order to find a job. More than two thirds of all inmates have not completed high school. Both unemployment and low education level attainment are inversely correlated to recidivism. The lower an offender’s educational level attained, the more likely he/she is to be unable to find employment that will provide for his/her financial needs. Most of the employment available for ex-inmates is in low wage sectors. Those who are unable to provide for themselves are more likely to reoffend. Academic and vocational training provide offenders with the skills to attain better paying employment. By providing academic and vocational training during incarceration, the likelihood of recidivism drops 3.7x compared to ex-inmates who did not participate in rehabilitation programs.

Newbold, Greg

2008 Another One Bites the Dust: Recent Initiatives in Correctional Reform in New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 41(3):384-401.

Originally, New Zealand used the punitive approach to prisons that was based on the English method. This method involved harsh discipline, deprivation, humiliation, and hard labor. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, New Zealand began to approach prison inmates with a liberal-humanitarian approach which involved training and work programs, and release on parole upon completion of the program. Most of the new approaches...

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...tion. During the 1930s, rehabilitation began to focus more on vocational training. By the 1970s and 80s, vocational education was believed to be the best way to reduce recidivism rates. Ideally, these programs would provide marketable skills for the offender so that he/she may find gainful employment upon release. However, education programs alone would not be sufficient to reduce recidivism rates because many other factors affect the likelihood of reoffending, such as living arrangements, a history of drug and alcohol abuse, income, and family relationships. The programs must also be administered during a “window of opportunity” to be effective. This is the amount of time it will take an offender to achieve one grade level higher in proficiency in an academic or vocational training course. Offenders who are unable to complete the treatment will not benefit from it.