Author: Briggs, Sarah
Title: Offender Literacy and Attrition from the Enhanced Thinking Skills Programme
Summary: A sample of 39 offenders identified as having literacy problems was compared with a sample of 50 offenders for whom no literacy problems were identified. · The samples were broadly similar with respect to gender, ethnicity, history of breach, broad categories of index offence, and OGRS risk of reconviction scores. · Offenders with identified literacy problems were more likely to drop out at every stage between sentence and final completion of post programme psychometric tests · We can be at least 90% confident that there is a significant difference in programme retention between the literacy problems group and the control group. Confidence in the finding is enhanced by repeated observation of an apparent literacy problem effect at each of the stages observed. · There was also an effect of age on attrition, with younger offenders more likely to be retained. This enhances confidence in the finding of an effect of literacy problems, since the literacy problems group tended to be younger on average. · Psychometric test papers examined in the course of this research showed a consistent low level of literacy. This raises the question of whether systematic identification of literacy problems takes place, and whether the number of offenders with these problems is higher than we are currently aware.
Details: West Yorkshire, UK: West Yorkshire Probation, 2003. 10p.
Source: Internet Resource
Year: 2003
Country: United Kingdom
URL:
Shelf Number: 126243
Keywords:
Cognitive SkillsEducationJuvenile Offenders (U.K.)LiteracyProbationersRehabilitationYoung Adult Offenders |
