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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:13 am
Time: 2:13 am
Results for correctional education programs (texas, u.s.)
1 results foundAuthor: Armstrong, Gaylene Title: Evaluation of the Windham School District Correctional Education Programs Summary: The Windham School District (WSD) provides educational services to the eligible offender population within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Approximately 63,000 offenders participated in services during the 2011-2012 school year. Sam Houston State University researched and reported on offender outcomes based on various levels and types of participation in educational programs. After a review of research and program descriptions, the findings will provide a general overview from a service delivery perspective. Next, the report examines the impact of WSD program delivery on offender outcomes, specifically the advancement of educational achievement levels and recidivism. Finally, this report presents the results of the impact of participation in WSD programs on average quarterly wages for those offenders employed subsequent to their FY2009 release. All investigative findings should take into consideration that the study found that as legislatively mandated, the WSD prioritizes services for offenders with high risk characteristics. However, because offenders within the TDCJ are not individually identified as high or low risk for re-incarceration, measuring the impact of programming to recidivism was challenging. An individual program assessment of the pre-release program, CHANGES, is not included in the study because significant curriculum revisions infusing cognitive skills were made during the 2009 school year. However, CHANGES students were included as participants in applicable cohorts of the study. A Brief Comparison of Literature Review and Study Findings Literature: Research has indicated that program intensity and duration of rehabilitation programs are directly related to positive outcomes, including recidivism, for certain offenders. Finding: Each WSD program demonstrated to a statistically significant degree that higher levels of program exposure decreased the likelihood of WSD offender re-incarceration. Literature: The higher the overall education level of the offender, the less likely they are to recidivate. Finding: Advances in educational achievement levels, specifically reading, led to much lower re-incarceration levels in many cases. Offenders who participated in WSD adult basic education programs had significantly higher reading, math and language grade equivalency scores as well as overall composite scores upon release in FY2009 as compared to non-participants. Literature: Research found that participants were 1.7 times more likely to be employed upon release to the community. Finding: WSD offenders who earned a GED were even more likely to report post-release earnings as compared to non-WSD offenders. Literature: Empirical evidence suggests correctional education participation results in an increased likelihood of success in obtaining and maintaining employment and higher wage earnings for former offenders. Finding: WSD offenders who had a higher level of reading ability as indicated by their reading category were more likely to report post-release earnings. Furthermore, participants in WSD programs improved their reading ability an average of two grade levels. Literature: Studies have shown that offenders who participate in correctional education programs have higher rates of employment upon release and participating offenders earn higher wages in each successive year. Finding: On average, WSD offenders earned higher wages per quarter as compared to Non-WSD offenders. Literature: Researchers have found that individuals who obtain meaningful, quality employment upon release have lower recidivism rates than those who obtain employment of a lesser quality. Finding: Obtaining Vocational Certification certificates further bolstered earnings within WSD offender groups. WSD offenders who earned vocational certifications on average earned $3,180.81 per quarter as compared to WSD offenders who engaged in vocational programming but did not earn certification who on average earned $2,795.37 per quarter. Literature: Findings are relatively consistent in that participation in correctional education reduces recidivism. Finding: Overall, younger offenders (<35) were significantly more likely to re-offend in contrast to offenders above the age of 35; however, within both age groups, educational achievement of WSD offenders had a suppression effect on re-incarceration. Literature: Cognitive-behavioral treatment is well-established as an effective method for adjusting maladaptive thinking and producing positive behavioral outcomes. Finding: WSD offenders who completed the Cognitive Intervention Program (CIP) earned significantly higher wages when post-release earnings were reported as compared to non-CIP participants. Further Considerations Future evaluation efforts should consider the examination the impact of consecutive or concurrent enrollment. Given that more than 43 percent of the offenders in this sampling time frame were incarcerated on more than one occasion, future consideration should be given to program involvement across various periods of incarceration. Future evaluations should compare differences between offenders exposed to a single correctional education program with those exposed to multiple programs. Details: Austin, TX: Sam Houston State University, 2012. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2013 at: http://www.windhamschooldistrict.org/reports/WSD_Rider6_Response.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.windhamschooldistrict.org/reports/WSD_Rider6_Response.pdf Shelf Number: 128972 Keywords: Correctional Education Programs (Texas, U.S.)RecidivismRehabilitation ProgramsVocational Education and Training |