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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:01 pm
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Results for prisoner rehabilitation
55 results foundAuthor: Howard League for Penal Reform Title: Business Behind Bars: Making Real Work in Prison Work Summary: Market research company ICM has polled 1,000 respondents on the U.K. government’s proposals to introduce real work into prisons. 51 per cent of the public support the government’s plans to make it easier to bring private companies into jails to employ prisoners in regular nine-to-five jobs. While only a quarter opposed it, 19% neither supporting nor opposing the policy and 4% recorded as ‘don’t knows’. But digging further down into public opinion reveals that: · 87% agree that if such a proposal were adopted, prisoners employed by private companies should pay tax and national insurance on their earnings; · 82% agree that prisoners employed by private companies should contribute a proportion of their wages to a fund for victims; · 74% agree that prisoners employed by private companies should contribute a proportion of their wages to their families on the outside; · 79% agree that prisoners employed by private companies should put aside a proportion of their wages to save towards their return to the community; · 74% agree that prisoners employed by private companies should be paid the national minimum wage to avoid the prison workforce undercutting the local labour workforce. The Howard League has given the report, Business Behind Bars: Making real work in prison work, to senior officials in government who are keen to implement some of the ideas. The coalition government is committed to cutting the prison population through fewer shorter sentences and improving the rehabilitation of offenders through better training. The report explains that if implemented properly, real work in prison could result in up to 11 prisons hosting work and over 12,000 prisoners working and being given the chance to contribute to society. Details: London: Howard League, 2011. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 6, 2011 at: http://www.howardleague.org/fileadmin/howard_league/user/online_publications/Business_behind_bars.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.howardleague.org/fileadmin/howard_league/user/online_publications/Business_behind_bars.pdf Shelf Number: 121974 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsJob Training, InmatesPrison IndustriesPrison Labor (U.K.)Prisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Senior, Paul Title: Process Evaluation of Five Integrated Offender Management Pioneer Areas Summary: A qualitative process evaluation of five Integrated Offender Management (IOM) pioneer areas was undertaken to assess implementation of IOM, identify approaches to implementation and capture the lessons learnt. The findings indicated that IOM enabled structural changes, transforming the delivery of offender management. There was considerable commitment and enthusiasm for IOM at the sites, whilst acknowledging barriers to development such as definition, resourcing, governance and clarity of agency roles. Since the evaluation took place, the political and criminal justice landscape has changed somewhat, supporting a more locally driven approach which can draw on the learning directly from the pioneers which were shaped and delivered locally. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Series 4/11: Accessed August 8, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/evaluation-integrated-offender-mgt-pioneer-areas.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/evaluation-integrated-offender-mgt-pioneer-areas.pdf Shelf Number: 122322 Keywords: CollaborationOffender SupervisionPrisoner RehabilitationRepeat Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Day, Andrew Title: Assessing the Social Climate of Australian Prisons Summary: Although in some ways communities appear to be increasingly more risk aversive and punitive in their attitudes toward offenders, the development and proliferation of a range of rehabilitation programs that aim to address the problems that lead to offending represents an important component of contemporary criminal justice policy in Australia. This research is based on the premise that the social climate of a prison will exert a profound influence on rehabilitative outcomes. In this paper, the authors present their validation of the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES) measure of prison social climates and the findings offer further support for measuring and identifying the means by which a prison’s social climate can be assessed. It is proposed that the measure be routinely used to audit the social climate of a prison or prison unit on an annual basis. This would enable changes over time to be assessed, standards and targets set, and the need for additional resources or interventions identified and responded to. Further research is required to establish how a social climate might be modified or changed in a way that would enhance rehabilitative outcomes. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice no. 427: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/2/D/%7B22D2E61A-6308-4F18-AF3D-285723ED618E%7Dtandi427.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/2/D/%7B22D2E61A-6308-4F18-AF3D-285723ED618E%7Dtandi427.pdf Shelf Number: 122613 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationPrisonersPrisons (Australia) |
Author: Edgar, Kimmett Title: Time Well Spent: A Practical Guide to Active Citizenship and Volunteering in Prison Summary: There is a huge scope for prisoners to take on responsibility, engage in constructive work, and contribute to the life of the prison community. We describe these roles as active citizenship. Examples include volunteering, peer support, charity work, and prisoner representative duties. We define active citizenship as follows: Prisoners are active citizens when they exercise responsibility by making positive contributions to prison life or the wider community. Main findings -- There are five types of active citizenship roles in prisons: • Peer support schemes, whereby prisoners help and support their fellow-prisoners • Community support schemes involving work with or on behalf of people outside the prison • Restorative justice programmes, whereby prisoners are encouraged to acknowledge the harm they have caused and to make amends • Democratic participation in prison life, for example involving membership of prisoner councils or other forums • Arts and media projects such as prison-based radio-stations or newspapers, or performing arts programmes. This report is based on evidence derived from a survey of prisons and interviews with prisoners and staff involved in active citizenship schemes. It documents the imaginative and effective work that has been pioneered in some prisons. Most prisons, from young offender institutions to high security prisons, provide opportunities for prisoners to be active citizens. Prison staff have demonstrated their expertise in managing risk by developing an array of roles and activities for prisoners that bring out the best in them. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2011. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Time%20Well%20Spent%20report%20lo.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Time%20Well%20Spent%20report%20lo.pdf Shelf Number: 122646 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsInmate Volunteer ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoner Volunteer ProgramsPrisons (U.K.) |
Author: California State Auditor. Bureau of State Audits Title: Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: The Benefits of Its Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions Program Are Uncertain Summary: The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Corrections) intends to use the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) software to help identify factors that cause inmates to commit crimes, so they can participate in such rehabilitative programs as substance abuse treatment or vocational education to reduce their likelihood of reoffending, thereby reducing overcrowding in the State’s prisons. California’s high recidivism rates and difficulties with prison overcrowding are well documented. In its October 2010 outcome evaluation report, Corrections reported that 67.5 percent of all felons released during fiscal year 2005–06 returned to prison within three years. Further, in May 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding the authority of a lower court to require that California reduce its inmate population to 137.5 percent of the design capacity of its correctional institutions. As of June 30, 2011, Corrections had more than 144,000 inmates in its various institutions, which were designed to accommodate only 80,000. However, the prospects that COMPAS will play a meaningful role in helping Corrections ultimately reduce prison overcrowding and lower its recidivism rates are, at best, uncertain. Corrections uses gender-specific versions of two different COMPAS assessments. The COMPAS core assessment identifies the needs of inmates entering the prison system, while the COMPAS reentry assessment evaluates inmates who are about to reenter society on parole. Our review found Corrections’ use of COMPAS during its parole planning process is not consistently enforced, while its use in reception centers — where inmates are initially evaluated and assigned to a prison — does not appear to affect decisions on prison assignments and, by extension, the rehabilitative programs inmates might access at those facilities. Corrections’ process at its 12 reception centers for assigning inmates to prisons is complex and considers factors such as an inmate’s history of violence, medical needs, gang affiliations, and the available bed space at suitable facilities that can accommodate the inmate’s security requirements. Our observations at one reception center and discussions with Corrections’ staff at seven others revealed that prison assignments are often not based on COMPAS. Instead, the inmate’s security level and the weekly placement restrictions imposed by Corrections’ Population Management Unit — the unit responsible for coordinating inmate movement within the prison system — are the primary determinants of prison assignment. Details: Sacramento: California State Auditor, 2011. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2011 at: http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2010-124.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2010-124.pdf Shelf Number: 122680 Keywords: -Prison AdministrationCorrectional InstitutionsCorrectional ProgramsParolePrison Over-crowdingPrisoner RehabilitationPrisons (California)Recidivism |
Author: Johnson, Hanna Title: Unlocking Value: The Economic Benefit of the Arts in Criminal Justice Summary: Re-offending costs the government between £9.5bn and £13bn each year. Two in five adult prisoners are convicted again within a year of release. Yet many charities are successfully harnessing the transformative power of art to help reduce these numbers. The arts have long been used to help rehabilitate offenders or improve the life chances of those at risk of getting involved in crime. There are plenty of stories of people whose lives have been changed by their involvement with arts organisations, yet arts charities traditionally struggle to provide hard evidence of the difference their work makes. The criminal justice sector in particular is often targets-driven, and arts charities working with prisoners and ex-offenders are under increasing pressure to provide evidence of their impact. This report looks at three charities using art to work with prisoners and ex-offenders: Clean Break, Only Connect and Unitas. It calculates the money these charities' work saves the criminal justice system, putting forward the economic case for investment in arts charities. Details: London: New Philanthropy Capital, 2011. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2011 at: http://www.philanthropycapital.org/publications/community/unlocking_value.aspx Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.philanthropycapital.org/publications/community/unlocking_value.aspx Shelf Number: 123158 Keywords: Art TherapyArts in PrisonsArts ProgramsCorrectional ProgramsInmate Art ProgramsPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Hollist, Dusten R. Title: Montana State Prison: Analysis of the Impact of Treatment Programs on Inmate Misconduct and Recidivism Summary: The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of two therapeutic treatment programs currently available at the Montana State Prison (MSP): Intensive Treatment Unit Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) and Intensive Treatment Unit Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP). Program effectiveness is measured using the rate of inmate misconduct while in MSP and the three-year recidivism rate of released inmates. The study was designed to allow for the comparison of misconduct rates before and after treatment and the comparison of after-treatment misconduct rates of those receiving treatment and those not receiving treatment. The study design also allows for the comparison of the recidivism rates of those who did or did not receive treatment. Major findings: Intensive Treatment Unit – Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) • The vast majority of the inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (79.6%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest • Although in most cases the difference is not statistically significant, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU CD treatment. • Of those completing ITU CD treatment, about twice as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. • In general, inmates who do not complete ITU CD treatment have misconduct rates that are higher than the after-treatment rates of inmates who complete ITU CD treatment. • Those who did not complete ITU CD treatment have higher recidivism rates than those who completed treatment and were compliant with the treatment at the time of release. • For those in the ITU CD sample, the longer the sentence served, the higher the likelihood of recidivism. • In terms of reducing recidivism, ITU CD treatment has the greatest impact on White inmates and those who are under age 40 at the time of release. • Treatment compliant ITU CD inmates have lower recidivism rates. But, if a treatment compliant inmate is going to return to prison, he is more likely than a non-treatment inmate to return in the first year after release. Intensive Treatment Unit – Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP) • The vast majority of inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (80.5%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest. • With some exceptions, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU SOP treatment. • Of those treatment-compliant inmates completing ITU SOP treatment, almost three times as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. Details: Helena, MT: Montana Department of Corrections, 2004. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2011 at: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Shelf Number: 123456 Keywords: Correctional TreatmentPrison AdministrationPrisoner Misconduct (Montana) Inmate MisconductPrisoner RehabilitationProgramsRecidivismSex OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment Programs |
Author: Boddie, Stephanie C. Title: Religion in Prisons: A 50-State Survey of Prison Chaplains Summary: From the perspective of the nation’s professional prison chaplains, America’s state penitentiaries are a bustle of religious activity. More than seven-in-ten (73%) state prison chaplains say that efforts by inmates to proselytize or convert other inmates are either very common (31%) or somewhat common (43%). About three-quarters of the chaplains say that a lot (26%) or some (51%) religious switching occurs among inmates in the prisons where they work. Many chaplains report growth from religious switching in the numbers of Muslims and Protestant Christians, in particular. Overwhelmingly, state prison chaplains consider religious counseling and other religion-based programming an important aspect of rehabilitating prisoners. Nearly three-quarters of the chaplains (73%), for example, say they consider access to religion-related programs in prison to be “absolutely critical” to successful rehabilitation of inmates. And 78% say they consider support from religious groups after inmates are released from prison to be absolutely critical to inmates’ successful rehabilitation and re-entry into society. Among chaplains working in prisons that have religion-related rehabilitation or re-entry programs, more than half (57%) say the quality of such programs has improved over the last three years and six-in-ten (61%) say participation in such programs has gone up. At the same time, a sizable minority of chaplains say that religious extremism is either very common (12%) or somewhat common (29%) among inmates. Religious extremism is reported by the chaplains as especially common among Muslim inmates (including followers of the Nation of Islam and the Moorish Science Temple of America) and, to a substantial but lesser degree, among followers of pagan or earth-based religions such as Odinism and various forms of Wicca. (See Glossary.) An overwhelming majority of chaplains, however, report that religious extremism seldom poses a threat to the security of the facility in which they work, with only 4% of chaplains saying religious extremism among inmates “almost always” poses a threat to prison security and an additional 19% saying it “sometimes” poses a threat. Details: Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 2012. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2012 at: http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Social_Welfare/Religion%20in%20Prisons.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Social_Welfare/Religion%20in%20Prisons.pdf Shelf Number: 124644 Keywords: Prison ChaplainsPrison ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationReligion |
Author: Lindquist, Christine H. Title: Prisoner Reentry Experiences of Adult Females: Characteristics, Service Receipt, and Outcomes of Participants in the SVORI Multi-Site Evaluation Summary: The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) funded agencies in 2003 to develop programs to improve criminal justice, employment, education, health, and housing outcomes for released prisoners. Sixty-nine agencies received federal funds to develop 89 programs. The SVORI Multi-site Evaluation was funded by the National Institute of Justice to examine the extent to which the SVORI (1) improved access to appropriate, comprehensive, integrated services; (2) improved employment, health, and personal functioning; and (3) reduced criminal recidivism. Sixteen programs—12 adult and 4 juvenile—were included in an impact evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the programming provided under SVORI. This report presents findings from the pre-release and postrelease interviews conducted with women in 11 impact sites. The sample includes 153 females enrolled in SVORI programs and 204 comparison females who did not receive SVORI programming. The respondent profile revealed a high-risk, high-need study group. The women reported many physical and mental health problems, with half reporting receiving treatment for mental health problems before the current period of incarceration. Whereas more than half of the women reported working during the six months before prison, nearly as many reported receiving income from illegal activities. The women reported an average of 11 arrests, with the first occurring at 19 years of age, and nearly all reported at least one previous incarceration. The women reported very high levels of current service need; among the most commonly reported were education, public health insurance, financial assistance, employment, and mentoring. The focus of the evaluation was to assess whether SVORI respondents received more services than non-SVORI respondents and to examine differences between the groups on a variety of post-release outcomes. Propensity score weights were developed, tested, and applied to improve the comparability of the SVORI and non-SVORI groups. Weighted analyses were used to examine the treatment effect of SVORI. In terms of service receipt, SVORI and non-SVORI respondents reported the highest levels of service receipt during confinement. Whereas both groups reported low levels of postrelease service receipt, SVORI respondents generally reported higher levels of service receipt than non-SVORI respondents. However, the levels of post-release service receipt reported by both groups were considerably lower than their reported levels of service need. SVORI programming appeared to have a positive impact on both employment outcomes and abstinence from drug use. The findings for criminal behavior were mixed; the women enrolled in SVORI had positive outcomes for self-reported criminal behavior and official measures for rearrest but had negative outcomes for self-reported compliance with conditions of supervision and official measures of reincarceration. SVORI programming did not appear to affect core housing outcomes, familial or peer relationships, or physical or mental health outcomes. Study findings clearly demonstrate that female prisoners returning to society are a population with high needs. While the SVORI programs were successful in increasing services provided to female participants, the levels of services that female SVORI participants received failed to match their high levels of need. However, the findings support the notion that enhanced access to a variety of reentry services results in modest improvements among several key reentry domains for women. The current evaluation’s detailed documentation of service areas for which women reported high needs can be used for effective planning and service delivery. Because of the variety of challenges that returning women prisoners face, particularly with respect to mental and physical health problems, extensive family responsibilities, and lack of employment experience (compared with reentering male prisoners), effective coordination of services is necessary. Details: Report tao the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2009. 180p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230420.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230420.pdf Shelf Number: 124936 Keywords: Female OffendersPrisoner Reentry, FemalesPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Great Britain. HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Prisons Title: Second Aggregate Report on Offender Management in Prisons Summary: This report is the second to be published from our joint Prison Offender Management Inspection programme, in which we have examined how well work with prisoners is being carried out during their time in custody. The assumption underlying the criminal justice system is that imprisonment should not only punish those who have offended by containing them, and thereby provide some form of deterrence to others whilst at the same time protecting the wider community, but also reform them. In order to achieve this, work with individual prisoners needs to address effectively their attitudes, behaviour and lifestyle. We were disappointed to find that, with some notable exceptions, this is not happening to any meaningful extent. Our inspections found that many prisons paid good attention to the ‘resettlement’ needs of the prisoner, i.e. their personal and social circumstances including education, employment, health etc. Such work plays an important part in reducing the likelihood of reoffending on release, but needs to be underpinned by work which encourages and sustains changes in attitudes and behaviour. There are still insufficient places across the prison estate on accredited programmes which deal with thoughts and attitudes. As a result some prisoners, notably sex offenders, are not always able to access the treatment programmes they need to change their behaviour before they are released. We saw many committed staff in Offender Management Units in prisons who clearly wanted to work effectively with individual prisoners and were frustrated when deployed to other duties because of operational demands. There was insufficient guidance about their role and some felt inadequately trained. Professional supervision by line managers is not generally a part of the prison culture and oversight of work with individual cases, even the most serious, was limited. Although we found some examples of good public protection work, we were concerned that, overall, the work on both public protection and child protection issues was not of a sufficient standard. Too often the separation of offender management and public protection functions within the prison meant that information critical to public protection did not inform offender management decisions. Given the lack of priority afforded to offender management work it was not surprising to find that prison staff outside the Offender Management Unit had little appreciation of its work. The electronic case record P-NOMIS has the capacity to address some of our concerns by capturing and communicating information about an individual prisoner, including their progress towards achieving sentence plan objectives. However, despite the investment in the roll-out of the system, it was not being used effectively to support offender management. Sentence plans were generally inadequate. Too often they were based on the interventions that were available rather than on what were required. This has had the effect of masking the true level of need across the prison estate. Objectives were rarely outcome focused, so it was not surprising that progress and change were insufficiently recorded. These failings raise problems for offender managers in the community, as well as staff in prisons, as they are responsible for preparing risk assessments to inform progress through the prison system and ultimately release. A period of incarceration offers an opportunity to tackle a prisoner’s entrenched behaviour and attitudes, and moreover to observe and capture on a day-to-day basis whether the necessary changes are taking place prior to release. Failing to capitalise on that opportunity is a waste of an expensive resource. Details: London: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmiprobation/adult-inspection-reports/omi2/omi2-aggregate-report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmiprobation/adult-inspection-reports/omi2/omi2-aggregate-report.pdf Shelf Number: 125740 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrectional ProgramsInmatesPrison ManagementPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoners (U.K.) |
Author: Casey, Joe Title: The Social Reintegration of Ex-Prisoners in Council of Europe Member States Summary: The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has a long history of campaigning for prison and criminal justice reform. Working within this 350-year tradition, the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) is actively involved in promoting respect for human rights in the way society deals with crime. QCEA carried out extensive research into the conditions of women in prison in member states of the Council of Europe (CoE), in partnership with the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva, Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) in the UK and the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) representatives to the UN Crime Commission in Vienna. The subsequent 2007 QCEA report, Women in Prison concluded that whilst in many cases prison sentences do little to reduce the risks of reoffending, the social cost to both prisoners and their families is disproportionately high. To support this recommendation, QCEA investigated the use of alternative sanctions to imprisonment in CoE member states. The resulting report, published in early 2010, presented a range of alternatives to prison, which ‘when implemented and assessed effectively, are often more successful at providing society with a suitable and effective response to crime and more often than not significantly less expensive’. Nevertheless, QCEA recognises that imprisonment will remain a part of European criminal justice systems, as ‘a last resort’ to be used where there is a pressing case to control offenders so that they cannot harm others. We argue in this report that whenever prison is used, it must be rehabilitative. Most offenders sent to prison will eventually be released. It is therefore incumbent on prison systems to invest adequately in rehabilitative programmes, so that prisoners have a better chance of reintegrating into the community after their sentence is finished. Such a policy respects the human rights and human dignity of those who break the law, but this is not the only reason to favour rehabilitation in prison management. An effective rehabilitative prison system can bring financial benefits too. Policing, investigating, and administering criminal justice systems are all expensive, as is imprisonment itself. This is not to mention the negative effects of crime on the community. Justice systems which can successfully rehabilitate offenders will save money and better meet the needs of society, since the alternative (longer and longer sentences) produces an unsustainable solution. These issues are explored in Chapter 3 followed by a short outline of how we have compiled the evidence used in this report in Chapter 4. There are many challenges to meet in making a rehabilitative prison system work. Among them is prison overcrowding. This problem is analysed in Chapter 5. Overcrowded prisons strain the resources invested in them and achieve less success in rehabilitating prisoners, because they are reduced to ‘coping’ rather than fulfilling their primary, rehabilitative function. Another challenge is ensuring that prisoners’ transition after their sentence is properly managed. This involves a balance between managing exoffenders and the crucially important goal of connecting them to services and opportunities (such as housing and employment) that will lend stability after the initial shock of leaving the regimented, structured life of prison. These need not be mutually exclusive goals. The role that probation services can play is explored in Chapter 6. Prisons must also understand and address the factors that, in many cases, drive criminal behaviour. Rehabilitation programmes for alcohol and drug addiction are vital in this regard as are programmes that aim to help prisoners understand the motivations and reasons for their crimes. Policy and best practice in alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and in sex-offender rehabilitation, are surveyed in Chapters 7 and 8. Yet the main challenge for prisoners remains how they will readapt to life in the community after their release. Preparation for this should begin immediately after their admission to prison. This is a huge adjustment for the prisoner and their families to make, especially after a longer sentence, and one where a number of factors come into play. Education (Chapter 9) is vital; if successfully completed it can have benefits both by offering prisoners employment skills they may not have had before and by allowing prisoners a different perspective on their lives. Preparation and support for prisoners to help them with the search for housing and employment are also important, as is the availability of training to improve their financial skills and thereby plan for the financial uncertainty and period of unemployment that may follow release. Current policies and best practice in these areas are explored in Chapter 10. Prisons should also try as far as possible to ensure that prisoners are able to stay in close touch with their families. Families provide the kind of motivation and support that official agencies simply cannot, and prison administrations must therefore make sure that they do not break family ties. This theme is explored in Chapter 11. Chapter 12 argues for the inclusion of prisoners in society more generally by arguing for the ending of blanket bans on prisoner voting. Finally, Chapter 13 makes the case for greater use of Restorative justice practices within and alongside the existing criminal justice system. Restorative justice aims to deal with conflicts (in this case, those caused by crime) by helping those affected explore the harm done and how it might be repaired. Such interventions may not be suitable in all cases and must be done with the consent of the individuals concerned, but have been shown to powerfully affect both offenders’ and victims’ perspectives on crimes. They work because they address the individual needs and issues caused by crime. At the core of all these issues and approaches is the fact that prisoners, for all that they may have committed acts that society disapproves of or even abhors, remain individual people, and they remain members of the wider community. If law-abiding behaviour arises out of respect or consideration for other members of our community, then dealing with crime solely by excluding its perpetrators from the same community that desires their future respect and consideration is unlikely to work. Continuing to exclude them after their release from prison merely exacerbates the problem, as does allowing prisons to become so overcrowded that prison staff cannot know or address the individual needs of prisoners. Proponents of an evermore punitive prison policy must confront this uncomfortable truth. There is no ‘catch-all’ solution to criminality and the policies and practices described in this report will not all apply to all offenders. However, exploration of best practice is worthwhile. Such practices, combined with a realistic policy on sentencing and prison population, may allow prisons to become genuinely rehabilitative. In so doing, prisons could be made to serve better the society that invests so heavily in them. Details: Geneva: Quaker Council for European Affairs, 2011. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 24, 2012 at: http://www.qcea.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rprt-reintegration-full-en-may-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.qcea.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rprt-reintegration-full-en-may-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 125752 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsPrisoner Reentry (Europe)Prisoner RehabilitationPrisoner Reintegration |
Author: Gormally, Brian Title: Thematic Evaluation of Funded Projects: Politically-motivated Former Prisoners and their Families Summary: This thematic evaluation focuses on the work of projects which work in the border areas with politically motivated ex-prisoners and their families. Many of these projects have already been individually evaluated in terms of the details of their work and indeed those evaluations form part of the key data drawn upon in the current report. However, the function of this report is to draw out more general themes of broader applicability in assessing the peace and reconciliation outcomes and the impacts of the projects. This review encompasses nine, separate -- indeed sometimes very different -- projects providing services and support for the ex-prisoner community of the Border Region of Ireland and beyond. The projects reviewed include seven, primarily local projects in the border area: Abhaile Aris based in Letterkenny; Expac based in Monaghan; Failte Abhaile based in Dundalk; Failte Chluain Eois based in Clones; La Nua based in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim; Tus Nua Sligeach based in Sligo; and Teach na Failte based in Strabane. In addition, the thematic review also covers the all-Ireland work of Coiste na n-Iarchimi, the central co-ordinating organisation for Republican ex-prisoner projects, as well as The Educational Trust, a project run by the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders that offers grants to individual ex-prisoners or their family members enabling them to take accredited educational courses throughout Ireland. Details: Belfast: Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Law Queen’s University Belfast, 2007. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2012 at: http://www.seupb.eu/Libraries/Peace_Network_Meetings_and_Events/PN__Thematic_Evaluation_of_Funded_Projects_Politically_motivated_former_prisoners_and_their_families__020210.sflb.ashx Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.seupb.eu/Libraries/Peace_Network_Meetings_and_Events/PN__Thematic_Evaluation_of_Funded_Projects_Politically_motivated_former_prisoners_and_their_families__020210.sflb.ashx Shelf Number: 125902 Keywords: Educational ProgramsEx-OffendersEx-Prisoners (Northern Ireland)Families of PrisonersPrisoner ReentryPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Meek, Rosie Title: The Role of Sport in Promoting Desistance from Crime: An Evaluation of the 2nd Chance Project Rugby and Football Academies at Portland Young Offender Institution Summary: More than half of all crime is committed by people who have previously been through the Criminal Justice System (Home Office, 2006) and reoffending rates within the young adult prisoner population are among the highest. Prison therefore presents a critical opportunity to engage with offenders through interventions and programming. Previous research has identified a clear need for specialist delivery and carefully planned methods of motivating offenders to make positive life changes, and sport presents a unique opportunity to engage with even the most challenging of young people caught up in a cycle of offending and imprisonment. This report summarises the evaluation findings of the 2nd Chance Project football and rugby academy, a two year initiative at HMP YOI Portland which uses sport as a way of engaging with young adult male prisoners in identifying and meeting resettlement needs and facilitating the transition from custody to community. The report is made up of eight key sections: Chapter 1 provides a contextual overview of the role of sport as a crime prevention initiative; Chapter 2 outlines the background to and delivery of the sports academies at Portland Young Offenders Institution; Chapter 3 introduces the evaluation process. Chapters 4-5 present the qualitative and quantitative research findings, and Chapter 6 is dedicated to a discussion of the key results. Chapter 7 explores the key recommendations generated by the research, and Chapter 8 summarises the suggested future research directions. The report concludes with a series of illustrative case studies presented in Chapter 9. Details: Southampton, UK: University of Southampton, 2012. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 1, 2012 at: http://assets.sportanddev.org/downloads/42541_rugby_football_report_under10mb.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://assets.sportanddev.org/downloads/42541_rugby_football_report_under10mb.pdf Shelf Number: 126178 Keywords: Prisoner RehabilitationSports (U.K.)Young Adult Offenders |
Author: Meek, Rosie Title: Fit for Release: How Sports-Based Learning Can Help Prisoners Engage in Education, Gain Employment and Desist from Crime Summary: Sport has long been recognised as an effective incentive, or way of increasing motivation among those who might otherwise be reluctant to participate in other activities. Although most of the attention in this area focuses on the positive use of sport in a community context, a growing body of research has explored the role of sport in prison settings. This research shows that carefully planned and skilfully delivered sports-based activities can be an especially effective way to reduce violent incidences, improve relationships between staff and prisoners, identify resettlement needs, and ultimately create opportunities for individuals to desist from crime following their release from custody. Details: Middlesborough, UK: Teesside University, School of Social Sciences and Law; Mitcham, UK: Prisoners Education Trust, 2012. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2012 at: http://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/doc/Learning_Matters/PET_Fit_for_Release_Report_WebVersion.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/doc/Learning_Matters/PET_Fit_for_Release_Report_WebVersion.pdf Shelf Number: 126284 Keywords: Prison ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationSports (U.K.) |
Author: Bath, Chris Title: Unlocking Credit Unions: Developing Partnerships Between Credit Unions and Criminal Justice Agencies Summary: Financial exclusion compounds the social and economic disadvantage of people within the criminal justice system who are seeking to desist from crime and re-establish themselves in society. Since the mid-2000s, many prisons and banks have developed partnerships which enable people to open a bank account prior to release. However, some prisons have turned to credit unions to provide financial services both post release and during a sentence. This report is based on a research study undertaken by Unlock and the Research Unit for Financial Inclusion in 2012 into the benefits, barriers and strategic options for credit unions in the development of financial services for people in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. It identifies how credit unions, prisons, probation and other agencies can work together to support the reduction of re-offending. Credit unions, prisons and criminal justice agencies Credit unions are not banks, but rather are not-for-profit financial co-operatives with a mission to serve their members and a culture based in community engagement. The appeal of credit unions to prisons and criminal justice agencies was their wide experience of the needs of low income individuals and of assisting people excluded from the mainstream financial system on a pathway to financial stability and security. A small but growing number of credit unions offer savings accounts and/or current accounts to people in and leaving prison, as well as a wider range of financial services to people serving community sentences and to the families of people in the criminal justice system. In total the study identified 22 credit unions engaged with criminal justice agencies. Credit unions were prepared to offer savings accounts to people in prison. All 13 credit union and prison partnerships in the study promoted the value of saving for release in order to financially support the return to society. It is often a lack of funds to manage the first few weeks out of prison that leads many people to re-offend. About a third of credit union and prison partnerships offered a current account to people on release or in open prisons. Others were able to offer savings accounts that could receive any mix of wages and welfare benefits. Around two thirds of credit unions working with prisons saw the most important benefits of the partnership in terms of the reduction of the risk of re-offending and the improvement of their rehabilitation and resettlement services. Details: Snodland, UK: Unlock, 2013. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2013 at: http://www.unlock.org.uk/userfiles/file/creditunion/unlockingcreditunions.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.unlock.org.uk/userfiles/file/creditunion/unlockingcreditunions.pdf Shelf Number: 127401 Keywords: Credit UnionsCriminal Justice PartnershipsEx-Offenders, Financial Services (U.K.)Financial Assistance, PrisonersPrisoner ReentryPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Volokh, Alexander Title: Everything We Know About Faith-Based Prisons Summary: This Article examines everything we know about the effectiveness of faith-based prisons, which is not very much. Most studies can’t be taken seriously, because they’re tainted by the “self-selection problem.” It’s hard to determine the effect of faith-based prison programs, because they’re voluntary, and volunteers are more likely to be motivated to change and are therefore already less likely to commit infractions or be re-arrested. This problem is the same one that education researchers have struggled with in determining whether private schools are better than public schools. The only credible studies done so far compare participants with non-participants who volunteered for the program but were rejected. Some studies in this category find no effect, but some do find a modest effect. But even those that find an effect are subject to additional critiques: for instance, participants may have benefited from being exposed to treatment resources that non-participants were denied. Thus, based on current research, there’s no strong reason to believe that faith-based prisons work. However, there’s also no strong reason to believe that they don’t work. I conclude with thoughts on how faith-based prison programs might be improved, and offer a strategy that would allow such experimentation to proceed consistent with the Constitution. Details: Unpublished (Draft) Paper: 2011. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Emory Law and Economics Research Paper No. 11-99 Emory Public Law Research Paper No. 11-145 ; Accessed March 26, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1789282 Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1789282 Shelf Number: 128132 Keywords: Faith-Based Prisons (U.S.)Prisoner RehabilitationPrisonersReligion in Prison |
Author: Kansas. Department of Corrections Title: Offender Program Evaluation: Volume VIII Summary: The programs described in this report have different curricula, different program durations, different objectives, different offender target groups, and different contractors. This set of differences makes program-to-program comparisons not “apples-to-apples.” Nonetheless, below we present a summary of some of the FY 2008 program results. Please keep in mind that these comparisons are not direct and that final interpretation and meaning must occur within the context of each individual program. Detailed data for each program is reported in subsequent sections of this report. It should be noted that during quality assurance reviews of the final draft of this report, the Department identified errors and inconsistencies with utilization data. Due to time constraints to investigate and correct the errors, utilization data is not provided in this evaluation. Total Program Participants -- The total number of program participants ranges from a low of 88 (Substance Abuse Treatment Program for females) to a high of 1,535 (Academic Education) for FY 2008. The Work Release Program had the second highest total number of participants at 828 and the Sex Offender Treatment Program had the third highest total participant number with 723. Number of Program Completions The total number of program completions (unduplicated) during FY 2008 ranged from a high of 412 (Work Release) to a low of 11 (Special Education). The Academic Education program achieved the second highest number of program completions at 390 and the Sex Offender Treatment program ranked third with a total of 251 program completions. The programs considered in this report also vary in the number of slots contracted or allocated to each program. This figure contributes heavily to the number of total participants that, in turn, influences the number of potential program completers. For FY 2008, the largest number of slots (average full-time equivalents) was for the Work Release program at 316. The next highest number of slots was for the Therapeutic Communities substance abuse treatment program at 220. Vocational Education (all types of vocational education combined) had the third-highest number of slots at 213. The smallest program in terms of contracted slots was Substance Abuse Treatment program for females (16 slots). Cost per Program Slot For the contractually operated programs, the FY 2008 actual expenditures can be divided by the number of program slots to obtain a cost per slot for the program. To ensure comparable figures, all slots are stated in terms of full-time equivalents. Actual program expenditures are not maintained for the KDOC-operated programs in a fashion that is separable from other KDOC functions (e.g., security, classification, etc.) associated with the program. Therefore, no cost per program slot is available for the KDOC-operated Chemical Dependency Recovery Program (CDRP) substance abuse treatment, Pre-Release, or Work Release programs. It should also be noted costs per slot are not reported for InnerChange, as all costs are assumed by the contract provider. Of the contracted programs considered in this report, Therapeutic Communities substance abuse treatment program demonstrates the lowest cost per program slot at $5,110 followed by Vocational Education at $5,137 and the Transitional Training Program at $6,149. The highest cost per slot was in the Academic Education Program ($10,520) followed by Special Education ($10,100) and the Sex Offender Treatment program ($9,970). Cost per Participant Using the same actual expenditure figures, the cost per participant can also be calculated for each of the contracted programs. As previously noted, costs are not reported for InnerChange, as all costs are assumed by the contract provider. Cost per participant was highest for the Special Education program ($4,720) followed by the Transitional Training program ($2,617) and the Sex Offender Treatment Program ($2,151). The lowest cost per participant was realized by Academic Education ($1,017), followed by Vocational Education ($1,460) and Therapeutic Community substance abuse treatment program ($1,976). The costs per participant for Special Education in Corrections, as it is in the public school system, are higher than other programs due in part to mandated requirements including lower class sizes, comprehensive evaluations, development and annual review of individualized education plans, provision of necessary services to qualified student(s) regardless of number of students available (can create teacher-student class ratios of 1 to 1), and that often as a result of disabilities, few students will achieve GED or complete all aspects of the IEP in the time in the program. Cost per Program Completion Although cost per participant gives a sense of how much it costs to have an offender enrolled in these programs, how much it costs for a program completion is also of interest. Special Education realized the highest cost per completion of the programs considered in this report ($45,909). This was followed by the Transitional Training program ($13,665) and the Therapeutic Community substance abuse treatment program ($8,185). The lowest cost per program completion was the Academic Education program ($4,003) followed by the Vocational Education program ($4,410). Note that important factors in this program cost calculation include the number of slots, the completion ratio, and the length of the treatment program. Costs per program completion for InnerChange are not reported, as all costs are assumed by the contract provider. The costs per program completion for Special Education in Corrections, as it is in the public school system, are higher than other programs due in part to mandated requirements including lower class sizes, comprehensive evaluations, development and annual review of individualized education plans, provision of necessary services to qualified student(s) regardless of number of students available (can create teacher-student class ratios of 1 to 1), and that often as a result of disabilities, few students will achieve GED or complete all aspects of the IEP in the time in the program. Completion Ratio The Completion Ratio is a calculation that compares the number of offenders completing a specific program within a fiscal year to the number who enrolled and had the opportunity to complete the program. The completion ratio is another measure of program efficiency. In FY 2008, the highest completion ratios were achieved by the Pre-Release program (88.9%), followed by the Work Release program (78.6%), the Substance Abuse Treatment Program for females (77.5%), and the Sex Offender Treatment program (68.0%). The lowest completion ratios were experienced by the Special Education Program (17.5%), Transitional Training (36.0%) and Academic Education (38.3%). PROGRAM OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: OVERVIEW Recidivism For most of the correctional interventions considered in this report, one of the program goals includes a reduction in recidivism, i.e., the number of returns to prison. There is no universally accepted definition of recidivism and it varies in three main areas: definition of “recidivating act”, “recidivism pool” and “length of follow-up period”. Please take caution in comparing outcome results in this report to those generated by other jurisdictions. The recidivism analysis pool consists of “new commitments” (including probation violators with or without new sentences) admitted and released during the period FY 1992 – FY 2008. For this evaluation some refinements to the outcome pool were imposed. In order to increase the homogeneity of the group on which recidivism information is reported and to ensure that all offenders in this recidivism analysis pool have “similar” opportunities for “success” or “failure,” the initial outcome pool was refined by excluding certain sub-groups (primarily “short termers” – offenders who served less than four months, which is usually insufficient time for program completion). The basic outcome measure is return to a Kansas Department of Corrections facility with or without a new sentence during the period of post-incarceration supervision or as a return via new court commitment following discharge from the initial sentence. Each offender is tracked individually for follow-up periods of one year, two years and three years. For most programs covered in this report, outcome is considered across the period FY 1992 through FY 2008. Exceptions to this include the Work Release program where outcomes are tracked from FY 1995 through FY 2008, InnerChange program where outcomes are tracked from FY 2000 through FY 2008 and the Therapeutic Communities for which the outcome tracking period varies. Further, given the fact that we do not employ experimental design (for discussion, see Section IV: Study Limitations), the difference in recidivism rates among groups does not necessarily imply a causal relationship with program experience. At best, we can only say that these events co-occur. To move toward a causal relationship would require employment of experimental or quasi-experimental research design(s). Also, in the following data presentation, treatment programs are treated as if they have remained static in modality and curriculum over the time period considered. In experience, however, this is not the case. The programs have undergone numerous changes over the course of the time frame considered. In alignment with the Department’s commitment to evidence-based practices, the KDOC has made strides toward identifying and targeting the high risk offender with the implementation of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R). Research suggests that targeting higher risk offenders for intensive treatment and reducing the mixing of risk levels will reduce recidivism (Andrews, Zinger, Hoge, Bonta, Gendreau & Cullen, 1990; Andrews & Dowden, 1999, 2006; Dowden & Andrews, 1999a, 1999b; Lipsey & Wilson, 1998; Lowenkamp & Latessa, 2005; Lowenkamp, Latessa, & Holsinger, 2006; Lowenkamp, Smith & Bechtel, 2007).1 In an effort to conduct more rigorous analyses with our data, the Department has conducted logistic regression models.2 While previous reports have primarily provided frequencies for re-admission to KDOC, this analysis considers the influence that sex, race, age and LSI-R total score have on recidivism and controls for these factors. These multivariate models can generate probabilities which can be interpreted as rates of failure based on the low, medium and high risk levels as determined by the LSI-R. These probabilities are presented in the bar chart below.3 Specifically, these findings suggest that over the three year follow-up period, recidivism rates do increase, regardless of the risk level. Over the three years, the rates of recidivism for the low risk group increases from 11.7% to 45.2%, resulting in an increase of 33.5%. Similarly, for the medium and high risk groups, the difference in rates of recidivism between the three year periods is 43.2% and 35.4% respectively. The key finding with this bar chart is that for each time period, the lower risk offenders are consistently re-admitted at a significantly lower rate than that of the moderate and high risk groups. Further, this provides empirical evidence that the Kansas Department of Corrections is adhering to the risk principle. It is important to note that these findings are not to be interpreted as program characteristics associated with the recidivism rates by risk level as we have not conducted such an analyses. Details: Topeka, KS: Kansas Department of Corrections, 2009. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2013 at: http://www.doc.ks.gov/publications/program-evaluation-reports/offender-programs-evaluation-volume-viii-april-2009/view Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.ks.gov/publications/program-evaluation-reports/offender-programs-evaluation-volume-viii-april-2009/view Shelf Number: 128329 Keywords: Correctional Programs (Kansas, U.S.)Costs of CorrectionsEvidence-Based PoliciesPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Scarbrough, Sarah Huggins Title: Reducing Recidivism in Returning Offenders with Alcohol and Drug Related Offenses: Contracts for the Delivery of Authentic Peer Based Recovery Support Services Summary: In collaboration with Sheriff C. T. Woody, the Deputies and other jail personnel, Kingdom Life Ministries (KLM) operates in the City of Richmond Jail. Aimed at serving individuals who suffer from alcoholism and other drug addictions, KLM’s programs offer peer-to-peer recovery support services; meaning people who are successful in their recovery deliver the recovery message. On any given day, rehabilitation and recovery services are provided to 120 men in what used to be the worst tier of the Richmond City Jail. A large portion of these men battle substance abuse disorders and have exhibited habitual criminal behavior over an extended period of time. Using a mixed methods approach, this study examined the effectiveness of KLM, during two stages — while the men are incarcerated and upon release. Beginning in February 2008, with the initial implementation of the KLM program, the examination spanned three and a half years, concluding in September 2011. The qualitative and quantitative findings of this study revealed the effectiveness of the KLM program. Secondary data examining other programs in and outside of Virginia was also reviewed to in order to develop best practices recommendations for substance abuse treatment organizations. Last, it was also discovered that private organizations provide more efficient services than public programs, and do in a much more cost effective manner. Details: Richmond VA: Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012. 223p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://sarahscarbrough.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/scarbrough-dissertation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://sarahscarbrough.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/scarbrough-dissertation.pdf Shelf Number: 128714 Keywords: Alcohol OffendersCorrectional ProgramsDrug OffendersJail Inmates (Virginia)Peer-to-Peer MentoringPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Durnescu, Ioan Title: Resettlement Research and Practices. An International Perspective. Summary: This report provides a comprehensive account of resettlement practices and research around the world. The main focus is around the questions: what are the initiatives that have been found effective by research and how are they implemented into real life settings. An adapted version of the framework provided by Taxman (2004) is instrumental in structuring the presentation. Therefore, research findings and practices are divided into three different stages: institutional stage, pre-release stage and the post-custody stage. A summary of the existing theoretical models available is also provided. In this part, Risk-Needs-Responsivity model and the Desistance paradigm receive a more extended account since they are the dominant ones and are already considered effective by the empirical studies. A few messages are important to retrieve from this section. First, it is essential that prisoners are treated fair and just and the quality of the professional relationship is carefully observed. Second, programs based on cognitive restructuring, motivating offenders and developing human and social capital seem to be the most effective in triggering and supporting change. As for the institutional stage a number of ideas stood up as important learning points: programs should start as soon as possible after the sentence and are organized from the release perspective, programs should be designed and delivered by motivated and professional staff that strongly believe in change, programs such as vocational training, education, drug rehabilitation and therapeutic - community are acknowledged in systematic reviews as effective in preventing reoffending. At the pre-release stage concepts such as continuity, coherence and consistency are important for describing effective programs. Two programs – FOR...A Change and Reducing the Risk of Reoffending – seem to incorporate these concepts and produced promising results. Programs dealing with transition from inside to the outside world and also with employment produced also useful conclusions. In the post-release stage it is important to continue the programs started inside the prison and overcome the reintegration barriers while supporting hope and motivation within released people. Issues like employment, stigma, financial aid, community and family are discussed in some depth. Some of the conclusions refer to the fact that research already produced some important hard data that can be used in real life settings. More has to be done to promote prison and probation organisations to become true learning organisation. Research on penology issues should employ more sensitive and credible methodologies such as quasi-experimental or experimental designs. In the same time qualitative insights should be pursued in order to understand better what, with whom and in what context change is possible. In the final part of the report the author suggests an European project structured in three directions: develop a trans-theoretical model for resettlement, pilot the model and evaluate it. Details: Utrecht, The Netherlands: European Organisation for Probation, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2013 at: http://www.cepprobation.org/uploaded_files/Durnescu-CEP-Resettlement-research-and-practice-final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.cepprobation.org/uploaded_files/Durnescu-CEP-Resettlement-research-and-practice-final.pdf Shelf Number: 129431 Keywords: Correctional Treatment ProgramsOffenders Treatment ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationProbationProbationersReentryResettlement |
Author: Muir, Rick Title: Tomorrow’s Prisons: Designing the future prison estate Summary: With much of the prison estate far too old to meet modern needs, there is an urgent need for fresh thinking about what we do in our prisons – and how they should be designed to facilitate those objectives. This project, of which this paper is the first output, aims to provide such new thinking by setting out a challenging but achievable agenda for change. We see two alternative futures for the prison estate: •We can continue on our present course, expanding the estate by building ever larger prisons based on standard designs. This might seem like the politically safer course, but it is a highly costly one and will do little to address the challenges identified. •We can embrace an ambitious but practical agenda of prison modernisation, which would create a more diverse range of penal institutions that are smaller, locally rooted, specialised and focused on rehabilitating prisoners. The report sets the scene for the second phase of the project, which will set out in detail what that alternative scenario could look like and how the political, financial and practical challenges to it can be overcome. Details: London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2010. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.ippr.org.uk/images/media/files/publication/2011/05/Tomorrows_prisons_web_1789.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ippr.org.uk/images/media/files/publication/2011/05/Tomorrows_prisons_web_1789.pdf Shelf Number: 129448 Keywords: Alternative to IncarcerationPrison ReformPrisoner RehabilitationPrisons (U.K.) |
Author: Wilkinson, Katherine Title: An Evaluation of the Prison Radio Association's Activity, Year 3: The Way Forward Summary: The PRA developed a strategic three year activity plan (2007- 2009) which has been evaluated annually by the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University. In 2009, key PRA objectives were to continue to provide prisons with support to set up their own radio projects, to host the Second Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony, to develop a National Prison Radio Service (NPRS) and to develop a sustainable funding strategy and press strategy. The findings of the evaluation of these three activity areas are contained within the main body of this report. Details: Sheffield, UK: Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam Unviersity, 2010. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://www.cjp.org.uk/publications/academic/ Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjp.org.uk/publications/academic/ Shelf Number: 129522 Keywords: Prisoner RehabilitationPrisoners (U.K.)RecidivismVocational Education and Training |
Author: Hickert, Audrey O. Title: Evaluation of Oxbow and Re-Entry: Final Follow-up Report Summary: The Salt Lake County Division of Criminal Justice Services (CJS) asked UCJC to evaluate the CATS drug treatment program at Oxbow and Re-entry services through Criminal Justice Services (CJS). The Oxbow Jail, which re-opened in July 2009, provides a “therapeutic campus” to expand education and rehabilitation programs to minimum security inmates requiring substance abuse treatment (CATS). The Oxbow portion of this evaluation examines whether or not offenders who receive substance abuse treatment while being housed in the therapeutic community at Oxbow have different outcomes than those who receive substance abuse treatment while being housed at the Adult Detention Center (ADC), after controlling for individual differences. The second portion of this evaluation examines CATS inmates who receive re-entry services from a team at CJS. Details: Salt Lake City: University of Utah, Utah Criminal Justice Center, 2012. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Oxbow_FinalReport_061912.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://ucjc.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Oxbow_FinalReport_061912.pdf Shelf Number: 129529 Keywords: Correctional Treatment ProgramsDrug Offenders (Utah, U.S.)Prisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Grommon, Eric Title: Understanding the Challenges Facing Offenders Upon Their Return to the Community: Final Report Summary: One of the greatest contemporary challenges for public policy is in the reintegration of offenders released from prison back into local communities. There are well over a million individuals currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons in the United States. Only 7% of prisoners are serving death or life sentences and only a small fraction of inmates die in prison, thus 93% of these individuals will be returning home. About 650,000 individuals are released from prison each year or approximately 160 per day. Perhaps even more dramatic is the fact that the current average length of prison sentence is only 2.4 years and, given that, 44% of state prisoners will be released within a year (Petersilia, 2003). In Michigan, more than 100,000 individuals are released from prison each year; 85% of whom are released under parole supervision. Further exacerbating this situation is the fact that the rate of successful returns of offenders to the community is declining. There are an increasing number of individuals sent to prison as a result of parole violations. Parole violators now account for about a third of all prison admissions (Travis, 2000). Furthermore, the rate of "failure" among released individuals is increasing. In 1984, 70% of those discharged from parole were deemed to be "successful." By 1996, less than half were determined to be successfully discharged (Petersilia, 2000). Similarly, Hughes and Wilson (2003) noted that of state parole discharges in 2000, less than half successfully completed their term of supervision. In Michigan, there is a similar situation with approximately 48% of offenders being returned to prison within a two year period. With recognition of these trends and an increased understanding of the dynamics of prisoner reentry, there has been a growing movement to better prepare offenders for the situations they will face upon returning to their communities (Nelson & Trone, 2000; Travis, 2000). Currently, almost every state and federal correctional system has some form of reentry programming designed to facilitate the prisoner's transition back to society. Reentry efforts have sought to create a more systematic preparation of offenders for their return home by addressing the critical areas that research has demonstrated are related to successful community reintegration. Among these critical areas are housing, employment, substance abuse, and family (social support) (LaVigne & Cowan, 2005). Documented reentry efforts have created extensive research on recidivism and its correlates. However, there has been relatively little research on the dynamics of the adjustment process inmates experience when they are released from prison (Petersilia, 2000, 2003; Visher & Travis, 2003). Many studies have found correlations between recidivism and factors such as finding and maintaining employment, locating stable housing, reuniting with children, family and significant social support networks and continuity of substance abuse treatment (if needed). However, there has been little research that explores the manner in which offenders personally deal with the challenges presented in each of these critical areas of reentry. To address this gap in the literature, this study involved a qualitative examination of the challenges offenders face as they make the transition from prison back to the community. The principal objective of this research was to increase our understanding of the reentry process from the perspective of offenders as they confront these challenges during their first year on parole after release from prison. It was envisioned that information from this research could produce a more comprehensive understanding of the reentry process which in turn may enable correctional agencies to better assist offenders in their adjustment to life outside of prison. Increasing this positive adjustment may produce lower recidivism rates. When recidivism rates are high, scarce economic resources that are needed elsewhere are often spent on corrections. In the United States is costs about $25,000 per year to incarcerate one person, and the total amount spent on corrections has risen to more than $50 billion annually (Petersilia, 2003; Stephan, 2004). In addition, imprisonment negatively impacts many families. More than half of all male inmates are fathers of minor children, while two-thirds of female inmates are mothers (Mumola, 2000; Petersilia, 2000). Thus obtaining a better understanding the dynamics of successful as well as unsuccessful reentry outcomes has considerable potential for creating interventions to improve these programs and reduce correctional expenditures. Details: East Lansing, MI: Michigan Justice Statistics Center, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, 2012. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2014 at: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/MI-SAC_Reports_Reentry-Interview-Tech-Report_final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/MI-SAC_Reports_Reentry-Interview-Tech-Report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 133162 Keywords: Parole SupervisionParole ViolationsParoleesPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: University of Edinburgh Title: Evaluation of Routes Out of Prison: Summary Report Summary: The Wise Group's Routes out of Prison project helps prisoners get the life, social and employment skills they need to rejoin family life and society. Life Coaches, being ex prisoners themselves, use their own experiences in turning their life around to help others do the same. Life Coaches: - work with prisoners serving three month to four year sentences, for four weeks before they leave prison - prepare an action plan for release including arranging help with housing, debt, benefits, addiction, training, education and work experience - provide one-to-one support after release to help people gain life, social and employment skills Details: Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland, 2011. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2014 at: http://www.thewisegroup.co.uk/content/mediaassets/doc/RooP%20Evaluation%20Summary%20Report%202011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.thewisegroup.co.uk/content/mediaassets/doc/RooP%20Evaluation%20Summary%20Report%202011.pdf Shelf Number: 133417 Keywords: Ex-Offenders (Scotland)MentoringPrisoner ReentryPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Sawanobori, Bunji Title: Industry participation in the correctional mandate in Japan: The case of the Shin-Kurushima Dockyard Summary: The Shin-Kurushima Dockyard is a working shipyard in Ehime prefecture, Japan, which has offered vocational training and experience free of charge to prisoners from Matsuyama prison for over 50 years. It also offers accommodation on the same premises, again free of charge. Prisoners who live and work at the Dockyard are normally granted early release from imprisonment, at about sixty per cent completion of their sentence on average, and their recidivism rate is low in comparison with Japan's average: zero per cent for the last 5 years and 15 per cent for about 30 years from its establishment in 1961 until 1992. This paper explores the participation of the Shin-Kurushima Dockyard in the Japanese criminal justice system, looking at the origins of the project, the dynamics between the prisoners and the local community, and the way that the prisoners live in comparison with mainstream Japanese prisons. The paper also compares statistics on the parole and recidivism rates of Dockyard prisoners with mainstream prisoners. The paper concludes with the observation that access to meaningful work and being treated with dignity and respect have been key to the success of the Shin-Kurushima Dockyard in the criminal justice system. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2014. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Howard League What is Justice? Working Papers 13/2014: Accessed November 26, 2014 at: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Research/What_is_Justice/HLWP_13_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Japan URL: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Research/What_is_Justice/HLWP_13_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 134260 Keywords: Prisoner RehabilitationPrisoners (Japan)PrisonsVocational Education and Training |
Author: Gilbert, Jarrod Title: Reintegration Services in the Canterbury Region Summary: The idea for a study of reintegration services came from the work of the Howard League in Canterbury prisons. In particular, prisoners often worried that there were inadequate programmes and services to help them leave prison and prevent them from returning. We began with a focus on the relationship between prisons and NGO services, and this focus was maintained throughout the study. Further themes emerged, especially the broad philosophical, targeted service reorganisation taking place within the Department of Corrections. We found ourselves researching within a maelstrom of changing systems and relationships, which were often imperfectly articulated and imperfectly understood by various participants in the prison and community sectors. Key findings arising from the study include: - There is a consensus in the Department of Corrections management in Canterbury that cooperation between the Department and NGOs is desirable to assist in the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners, with the ultimate goals of reducing prisoner numbers and creating fewer victims of crime. - This cooperation between state and independent agencies is mirrored in certain jurisdictions around the world, and from these we can gain certain insights, namely: the importance of mutual 'buy-in' to end goals and the means to achieve them; the necessity for clear and honest lines of communication; and a need for NGO professionalism to be balanced against the risk of NGOs losing their unique and important points of difference that make them effective. - Corrections management have embraced a culture of change and their thinking is sophisticated, though the process is ongoing. - Much of this culture change can generally be understood as moving away from a system with a focus on confinement and toward one with a greater focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. The latter is captured by use of the term 'transitioning' to describe the move from prison to the community. - Acknowledging financial constraints, there was a desire among management to offer more services to prisoners and to 'front load' services rather than waiting until the end of the sentence is nearing, and to engage with prisoners on short sentences. - Management realised that there was a need for better engagement with NGOs. - Prisoners interviewed for this project included men and women with a range of sentences and risk profiles. - The vast majority of prisoners reported a willingness to change away from criminality, with 80 percent of the prisoner sample reporting that they wanted to change 'a lot' about their lives. Recidivism rates, however, show that most will fail. - These prisoners said offending occurred for a number of psychological and practical reasons, many of which can be targeted by programmes and interventions. - The three most prominent types of assistance required were: support and counselling, employment, and alcohol and drug support. - Among prisoners, there was a low level of understanding about what support was available and often there was conflict reported between what prisoners thought they needed and what Corrections was offering them. - The majority of prisoners reported that they heard about programmes or courses mainly from other prisoners, and only a third through Corrections or Probation. - Relationships with Case Officers were largely good, but relationships with Case Managers were mixed, and included a number of very negative experiences. Details: Canterbury, NZ: Howard League for Penal Reform, Canterbury Branch, 2014. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2015 at: http://www.howardleague.org.nz/uploads/1/1/6/3/11633778/final_report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.howardleague.org.nz/uploads/1/1/6/3/11633778/final_report.pdf Shelf Number: 134518 Keywords: Prisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoner Reintegration (New Zealand)RecidivismReoffending |
Author: Day, Mark Title: Release on temporary licence and its role in promoting effective resettlement and rehabilitation Summary: Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is a pivotal part of the process of resettlement and rehabilitation. For many people in prison, particularly those who are serving long sentences, the chance to experience ROTL and open prison conditions are a vital stage in the preparation for their safe release. They enable people to sort out jobs, housing and establish contact with families which help them to reduce their risk of reoffending. Less than 1% of releases on temporary licence fail and, of these, only 6.1% involve an arrestable offence. This is the equivalent of five arrests per 100,000 releases. The government has conducted a review into ROTL following three tragic incidents involving people on temporary release in the summer of 2013 and a small number of high profile absconds from open prisons in 2014. Interim measures have been put in place and a revised policy is expected to be introduced in February 2015. Since the start of the review, people in prison in contact with the Prison Reform Trust have reported increasing delays in obtaining access to open conditions and permission for temporary release and mounting frustration at being denied opportunities to progress their sentences. The latest Ministry of Justice statistics show that the number of releases on temporary licence has decreased by nearly one quarter since 2013. This briefing highlights the importance of ROTL for reducing reoffending and calls for a review of the government's changes to the scheme to ensure fairness and proportionality. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2015. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 26, 2015 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/InsideOutfinal.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/InsideOutfinal.pdf Shelf Number: 134720 Keywords: Prisoner Reentry (U.K.)Prisoner RehabilitationResettlementTemporary Release |
Author: Ireland. Central Statistics Office Title: Prison Recidivism: 2008 cohort Summary: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published figures on recidivism rates among prisoners released from custody of the Irish Prison Service in 2008. The CSO used a combination of data from both An Garda Siochana and the Irish Prison Service in compiling these figures. The data looks at both the rate of re-offending ('recidivism') and the total numbers of people who have re-offended within three years of release in the year 2008 (the '2008 cohort'), with comparisons to equivalent data on re-offending among those released in 2007 ('2007 cohort'). Overall, the rate of recidivism has fallen from 55.3% for the '2008 cohort' to 51% among the '2007 cohort'. The document includes details of the type of offences the offenders committed originally and what type of offence they committed in the subsequent three year period from release in 2008. Furthermore, there is a breakdown of data on recidivism, with categories such as gender, age, initial offence type, and time period until subsequent offence. The IPRT welcomes the publication of this data, which helps to inform evidence-based penal policy. Coordination of data collection and research across all the criminal justice agencies is hugely important to the development of such policy. However, there are some points of concern arising from this data. The trend shows that recidivism is highest among young male offenders under the age of 21, at 57.7%, with lower rates in each subsequent age group. This is in line with academic research which demonstrates that offending rates naturally decrease with age. In addition, a large proportion of subsequent offences happen within a short time span after release (64.2% of all recidivists re-offend within 6 months of release, rising to 87.9% of male recidivists under 21). Further research and resources must be directed towards diversion of young males away from criminality, especially in the first few months after release. Details: Dublin: Central Statistics Office, 2013. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2015 at: http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/crimejustice/2008/prisonrecidivism2008.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/crimejustice/2008/prisonrecidivism2008.pdf Shelf Number: 135530 Keywords: Prisoner RehabilitationRecidivism (Ireland)Reoffending |
Author: James, Nathan Title: Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System Summary: The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on prerelease custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity. The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model has become the dominant paradigm in risk and needs assessment. The risk principle states that high-risk offenders need to be placed in programs that provide more intensive treatment and services while low-risk offenders should receive minimal or even no intervention. The need principle states that effective treatment should focus on addressing needs that contribute to criminal behavior. The responsivity principle states that rehabilitative programming should be delivered in a style and mode that is consistent with the ability and learning style of the offender. However, the wide-scale adoption of risk and needs assessment in the criminal justice system is not without controversy. Several critiques have been raised against the use of risk and needs assessment, including that it could have discriminatory effects because some risk factors are correlated with race; that it uses group base rates for recidivism to make determinations about an individual's propensity for re-offending; and that risk and needs assessment are two distinct procedures and should be conducted separately. There are several issues policymakers might contemplate should Congress choose to consider legislation to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons, including the following: - Should risk and needs assessment be used in federal prisons? - Should certain inmates be excluded from earning additional time credits? - Should risk assessment be incorporated into sentencing? - Should there be a decreased focus on punishing offenders? Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2015. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: R44087: Accessed July 8, 2015 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44087.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44087.pdf Shelf Number: 135962 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsInmatesPrisoner RehabilitationPrisonersRisk and Needs AssessmentRisk Assessment |
Author: Gordon, Liz Title: Formative Evaluation report Summary: This brief formative evaluation examines issues arising from the development of a Pillars family/whanau re-integration programme in May and June 2011. The evaluation report is to be submitted to the Department of Corrections along with the written programme and materials that have been developed into the Close to Home package. Most prisoners are parents, and most do not keep in good touch with their children and whanau through the sentence. Yet the research makes it clear that prisoners who get good support from their families/whanau are far less likely to re-offend than those who do not. A range of programmes were researched in developing the programme, and include information on what kind of programme, eligibility issues, length, content and actual and expected outcomes for the courses. This information was used in developing the structure and content of Close to Home. The programme was developed over 6-8 weeks and has been written as a programme workbook for delivery. It is summarised in this report. Features of the programme include: the use of high quality assessment tools and workbooks that have been developed for other programmes; a significant amount of work with the prisoner and whanau present; a strong focus on planning reintegration; and the use of a range of agencies through the Strengthening Families process to facilitate prisoner re-entry. This approach allows for the particular issues facing individual families to be addressed, and for families/whanau to have access to the resources of a wide range of agencies. The programme The programme involves significant pre-release work and also post-release guiding and support. Stakeholders support family/whanau re-integration, although they have a range of different views as to what it entails. There is acknowledgement that prisons currently have not focussed adequately on the role of the family/whanau, nor on the prisoner as a parent. The project materials were analysed. A wide range of good quality materials are available and will be used at various points through the pilot project. Core tools include the Time's Up workbook and the assessment tools, among others. The main findings of the formative evaluation are that a very effective programme has been assembled using a range of resources from a variety of sources. Key risks include the need to bring in a new staff member for the pilot programme phase, and the difficulties in tailoring courses to individual needs. The main risk for the pilot programme is timeliness, as all aspects of the programme will need to be complete within three months. Details: Christchurch, NZ: Pukeko Research Ltd., 2012. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: http://www.pillars.org.nz/images/stories/pdfs/formative_evaluation_of_close_to_home.pdf Year: 2012 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.pillars.org.nz/images/stories/pdfs/formative_evaluation_of_close_to_home.pdf Shelf Number: 137834 Keywords: Children of PrisonersCorrectional ProgramsFamilies of InmatesMale InmatesMale PrisonersPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationReintegration |
Author: Brunton-Smith, Ian Title: The impact of experience in prison on the employment status of longer-sentenced prisoners after release. Results from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) longitudinal cohort study of prisoners Summary: According to survey data, around two-thirds of prisoners are unemployed both before and after custody. The importance of employment in supporting reducing re-offending has long been recognised. There is less understanding of why some prisoners are able to secure work, whilst others do not. Improving our understanding is a key priority for those involved in the management and rehabilitation of offenders. Between 2005 and 2010 a longitudinal cohort study (Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction - SPCR) was conducted, involving face to face interviews with prisoners during and after custody, as well as matching individuals to administrative data such as criminal records. During the SPCR interviews, prisoners were asked about events and circumstances in childhood and early life and before coming into custody as well as their experiences in prison and after release. Previous reports from the SPCR study have focused on the background characteristics of 1,435 prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in prison (SPCR Sample 1), including childhood experiences, education, employment, drug and alcohol use, health and mental health, needs and attitudes, accommodation before custody, and criminal history (MoJ, 2010a; Boorman & Hopkins, 2012; Hopkins, 2012; Williams, Poyser & Hopkins, 2012; Williams, Papadopoulou & Booth, 2012; Light, Grant & Hopkins, 2013) These reports were based on bivariate analysis and explored prevalence of these pre-custody factors and whether they were associated with higher rates of re-offending on release. In addition, a longitudinal report (Brunton-Smith & Hopkins, 2013) demonstrated which factors identified in the bivariate analyses remained independently associated with re-offending after release from prison, once all other factors were taken into account. SPCR respondents were asked about their employment status during the Wave 3 interviews, conducted a few months2 post-release from prison. The current report presents findings about the factors that are associated with employment after release, for 2,171 prisoners serving sentences of between 18 months and four years (SPCR Sample 2). These sentence lengths are not typical, as on average, most prisoners are sentenced to less than one year in prison.3 However, longer-sentenced prisoners are more likely to access programmes and interventions in prison, and this focus on longer-sentenced prisoners may allow analysis of the effects of these programmes on outcomes such as employment after release. The research first uses bivariate analysis to describe a range of factors before, during custody and after release, exploring how post-custody employment rates vary according to these factors. The analysis then focuses more specifically on identifying the factors that were most strongly associated with higher likelihood of reporting employment after release. To do so the analysis used logistic regression, developing a multivariate model to allow several factors to be tested for their association with post-custody employment at the same time. This allows us to demonstrate which factors were independently associated with employment, when all factors were considered together. Logistic regression analysis does not establish causal links between events, circumstances and re-offending. Nevertheless, the approach allows us to identify a range of factors directly associated with employment after release from prison, and to consider the relative importance of different factors to support policy makers and practitioners working with prisoners and ex-prisoners. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: Accessed March 9, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296320/impact-of-experience-in-prison-on-employment-status-of-longer-sentenced-prisoners.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296320/impact-of-experience-in-prison-on-employment-status-of-longer-sentenced-prisoners.pdf Shelf Number: 138146 Keywords: EmploymentEx-Offender EmploymentPrisoner RehabilitationRe-offendingRecidivism |
Author: Care After Prison Title: Care After Prison: Three Year Impact Report, 2011-2014 Summary: Over 60% of ex-prisoners reoffend within 3 years of their release. This poses a real challenge for those providing services to people leaving prison. In 2011, Care After Prison (CAP) was founded to help break this cycle. CAP takes a completely new approach: peer-led and non-judgmental. It meets ex-prisoners in the middle by providing credible support built through experience and education. It is this unique perspective that distinguishes CAP from other services and makes it the effective intervention that it is. The benefits of CAP's success in rehabilitating ex-prisoners are three-fold: ex-prisoners have benefited by reintegrating into society, crime by ex-prisoners has been reduced and, as a result, tax payers have saved money. In 2014, CAP staged 439 interventions in the community alone. Of those, the majority were related to prison-in reach visits, peer advice and homeless or accommodation issues. In addition, through the Community Support Scheme (CSS), CAP worked with 211 offenders on structured Release and referred 134 to additional services. The top referrals were for addiction services, education and training and employment. As CAP service users' average recidivism rate is significantly lower than the national average, CAP delivers a considerable saving to the Exchequer. Details: Dublin: Care After Prison, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2016 at: http://careafterprison.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Care-after-prison-report-web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Ireland URL: http://careafterprison.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Care-after-prison-report-web.pdf Shelf Number: 138212 Keywords: Prisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Scottish Prison Service Title: Arts Review Summary: The review, written by Jennifer Hill with support from our partners from the Scottish Prisons Arts Network (SPAN), was produced in the context of the SPS Organisational Review Unlocking Potential, Transforming Lives, and the related Purposeful Activity Review (PAR). The document seeks to build on these initiatives by highlighting the contribution of the arts towards custodial rehabilitation by enabling individuals' to build on their strengths and preparing them to meet the future challenges of work, family and responsible citizenship on release. The review will also help inform the challenges for creative arts in custody by stimulating engagement and motivating formerly reluctant learners to acquire confidence and self-belief and presenting challenges for wider educational development. Governor Jim Kerr welcomed the review stating that arts were a crucial element of the educational activities for long term prisoners at the establishment. This is evident in the wide ranging impact of the multi-award winning STIR magazine which focuses on the creative arts in stimulating self-reflection and challenging individual behaviours. Concluding remarks were made by Eddie a prisoner at Shotts who informed the group that arts and education had provided him with the confidence for the future challenges of community reintegration and accessing employment. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Prison Service, 2015. 5 parts Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 24, 2016 at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/News/News-3490.aspx Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/News/News-3490.aspx Shelf Number: 138400 Keywords: Art ProgramsCorrectional ProgramsPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Western Australia, Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services Title: Recidivism rates and the impact of treatment programs Summary: Crime costs Australia approximately $36 billion dollars per year. Government spending on the criminal justice system accounts for approximately one quarter of these costs, distributed between the police, the courts, and corrective services. National trends show an increasing expenditure on the criminal justice system and Western Australia reflects this. Over the past five years, the yearly cost of Corrective Services has increased by nearly $200 million (34%), with an additional $655 million used on capital expenditure. This review has found that the Department is missing opportunities in reducing reoffending among those most likely to return to prison. Many factors that increase the likelihood of returning to prison are beyond the Department's control but some can be addressed by treatment in prison, education, or by support and assistance on release. It was found that prisoners released from prisons where there were identified deficiencies in service provision were more likely to reoffend. One area that has seen significant investment with the explicit aim of reducing re-offending is the provision of psychologically-based 'offender treatment programs'. These programs are also an influential factor in Prisoners Review Board decisions. Despite their importance there are inequities in their provision and individual programs are rarely subject to long term evaluation. In order to improve outcomes and reduce the rate at which people return to prison, the Department needs to adopt a holistic but carefully targeted approach. This will require clear goals, well-funded strategies for improvement, and continuous measuring of effectiveness so that alterations can be made where needed. Cost increases in the Western Australian correctives services system coincide with an unprecedented increase in prisoner population. The number of prisoners in adult prisons has increased from approximately 3000 in 2004 to over 5000 in 2014. Not only has the population risen but the cost per prisoner is also rising. In Western Australia, five years ago the cost per prisoner each day was $303.62. Now it is $341.64. For 5000 prisoners that is a rise of over $190,000 per day. These cost and population pressures underline the importance of an effective corrective services system. In an effective system, imprisonment will positively influence a prisoner's life by making them less likely to reoffend in the future. Every 10 less prisoners in the system represents an annual saving of one million dollars. Research has shown that a prison sentence increases the likelihood of reoffending; however, reoffending is less likely if a person undertakes a relevant treatment program (e.g. drug treatment, sexual offender treatment). Other effectively proven rehabilitative measures for reducing reoffending include: - Prison-based educational and vocational training programs; - Prison-based employment programs; - Post-release services that aid community re-integration; - Drug courts; and - Mental health diversionary programs. Recently, the Commissioner for Corrective Services announced an intention to reduce reoffending by five to six per cent per year Details: Perth: Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, 2014. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/3912295a35b28230ed9c541e48257d730008d551/$file/2295.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/3912295a35b28230ed9c541e48257d730008d551/$file/2295.pdf Shelf Number: 138937 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCosts of CorrectionsPrisoner RehabilitationRe-offendingRecidivism |
Author: O'Brien, Rachel Title: RSA Transitions: A social enterprise approach to prison and rehabilitation Summary: The introduction of working prisons is likely to require significant changes to the workforce and renegotiations of staff contracts. The government's proposals for working prisons risk becoming a good idea turned bad. Our pamphlet, RSA Transitions, is published at the start of the bidding process for new contracts worth $2.5 billion for running nine UK prisons. Under RSA plans, prisoners would be paid to work in social enterprises while in custody. This would continue through the gate with the aim of normalising work, addressing resettlement needs and securing employment in the community. Salaries would make a contribution towards reparation to victims and individual savings towards resettlement. There would be an element of staff and service user ownership linked to performance and rehabilitation. RSA Transitions has been developed with experts from the criminal justice social enterprise fields. It is designed as a social business that would work with different social enterprises within a single framework. This would be underpinned by rigorous evaluation and involve employers, service users, local services and members of the community in its design, delivery, learning and skills content and governance. The government's criminal justice green paper proposed that prisoners will work a 40-hour week and that providers would be paid by results in relation to tackling reoffending levels. The introduction of working prisons is likely to require significant changes to the workforce and renegotiations of staff contracts. RSA Transitions welcomes the government's focus on providing paid work in custody but warns that: - A 23 percent cut to the Ministry of Justice budget increases the pressure to cut costs and maximise profit, risking British prisons becoming more like American profit-led jailhouses that exploit prisoners and fail to rehabilitate. - Prisons are not currently constructed, managed or staffed to support the work ethic. Significant changes would be needed in all these areas in order for them do so. - Prison numbers and overcrowding are at peak levels, making change more difficult. According to the prison service, last week was the eighth consecutive week where over 87,000 people were in prison. - The RSA sets out an alternative model of a not-for-profit community prison that would provide custody and rehabilitation services on a single site, working with between 500 and 700 people at any one time. - The RSA sets out an alternative model of a not-for-profit community prison that would provide custody and rehabilitation services on a single site, working with between 500 and 700 people at any one time Details: London: Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 11, 2016 at: https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/reports/rsa-transitions-a-social-enterprise-approach-to-prison-and-rehabilitation/ Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/reports/rsa-transitions-a-social-enterprise-approach-to-prison-and-rehabilitation/ Shelf Number: 138966 Keywords: Inmate LaborPrison LaborPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoners |
Author: O'Brien, Rachel Title: Building a Rehabilitation culture Summary: This report argues that prisons will continue to struggle to rehabilitate offenders unless they are able to develop stronger, more positive links with their communities and economies. The RSA sets out an alternative model of a not-for-profit community prison that would provide custody and rehabilitation services on a single site, bringing back to life unused Moj assets adjacent to existing prisons. It proposed a model where prisoners and ex-offenders would be paid to work in social enterprises. Was there a way to benefit from the innovations and freedoms that can come with private investment and partnership, but with the ethical constraints and focus of the public and voluntary sector? We were struck by the fact that the work of prison officers and the service was largely invisible or misunderstood by the public. Whereas people would defend the NHS and schools and believed they understood health and education services, the prison service is something that happens 'out of sight', and is largely ignored, until something goes wrong. Yet in polls the public put crime at the top of their concerns. What kind of approach would better involve people, communities, and employers in helping prisons to do the work that we ask of them? These questions and more will inform the study the RSA is undertaking as we assess the potential for taking the Transitions idea to the next stage and is working with a public prison in East Yorkshire to this end. Since publication of its original 'vision' pamphlet in 2011, the RSA has secured funding to undertake a major feasibility study throughout 2013. Details: London: RSA, 2014. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 11, 2016 at: https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/reports/building-a-rehabilitation-culture/ Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/reports/building-a-rehabilitation-culture/ Shelf Number: 138967 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCorrections OfficersPrison GuardsPrison ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoners |
Author: Coates, Dame Sally Title: Unlocking Potential: A review of education in prison Summary: Putting education at the heart of the prison regime 1. Education in prison should give individuals the skills they need to unlock their potential, gain employment, and become assets to their communities. It is one of the pillars of effective rehabilitation. Education should build social capital and improve the well-being of prisoners during their sentences. 2. Improved prison education can transform individual prisoners' lives, but it can also benefit society by building safer communities and reducing the significant financial and social costs arising from reoffending. The cost of current levels of reoffending has been estimated to be 9.5-13 billion per year1. 3. Recognition of the importance of education in prisons appears to have been lost. There are pockets of good practice, with examples of 'Outstanding' education provision, but these are isolated. There does not appear to be any systematic way for prisons and Governors to learn from one another. 4. Education is more than a service provided by OLASS providers in classrooms or workshops. All areas of the prison regime should be considered suitable for learning. My vision for prison education is holistic. It includes: - basic skills development in maths, English and ICT, through intensive courses, one-to-one support from other prisoners, or embedded in workshop or other work settings (e.g. kitchens and gardens); - high quality vocational training and employability skills that prepare individuals for jobs on release (e.g. through industrial work and training designed with and for employers); - Personal and Social Development (PSD), including behaviour programmes, family- and relationship-learning, and practical skills (e.g. parenting, finance, and domestic management); - proper support for the needs of prisoners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD); - provision of arts, music and sport activities; - enterprise and self-employment support and training; - self-directed study; - learning facilitated by ICT, including distance-learning that can support qualifications from entry level up to degree level; - advice and guidance that ensures individuals make informed choices about education and future employment and career options; and 'through the gate' support so that individuals can continue to progress through education, training and employment on release, and therefore avoid reoffending. 5. The chapters of this report set out the approach I would like to see taken in seven key areas: - Chapter One covers my fundamental recommendation that Prison Governors, as leaders of a complex environment, should have autonomy in the provision of education, and be held to account for the educational progress of all prisoners; - Chapter Two discusses the need for a new 'people' culture in prisons to support leadership, build routes to attract new talent into working in prison, and ensure professional development for all staff. A large number of people are in contact with each individual prisoner day-to-day. They all have a responsibility to ensure that, in educative terms, every contact matters. This includes regional managers, Governors, the Senior Management Team in every prison, teachers, prison officers, prison instructors and peer mentors; -Chapter Three explains the personalised approach Governors should take in developing education. The offer must be meaningful for each learner, encourage personal responsibility, and meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD); - Chapter Four is concerned with raising aspiration. Education must offer a learning journey that enables educational progress that includes, where appropriate to the individual, industry-standard vocational qualifications and access to Higher Education; - Chapter Five sets out the case for change to be driven through improved ICT. Digital systems are crucial to enabling the delivery of high quality education to prisoners. If prisoners are, on release, to secure employment, continue to study, or otherwise contribute to society, they must be given the opportunity to use and improve their digital skills in prison; - Chapter Six explores what should happen to enable more prisoners to move into sustained employment and/or continue education on release; - Chapter Seven outlines the phased approach and timetable I believe should be taken to reform education. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2016. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524013/education-review-report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524013/education-review-report.pdf Shelf Number: 139067 Keywords: Correctional EducationCorrectional ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationVocational Education and Training |
Author: Ochola, Gumbi Vincent Title: The effect of contraband smuggling on rehabilitation of inmates in Kenya: the case of Kamiti maximum prison Summary: The main mission of Kamiti Maximum prison is to rehabilitate its inmates in order to make good citizens once they are out of the facility. Contraband on the other hand finds their way into the prison via different means hence posing a great challenge to the process of rehabilitation. The aim of this study therefore was to find out how the contraband are smuggled into prison, why inmates use contraband and to examine the effect of contraband on inmates‟ rehabilitation. This qualitative research among 36 Prison Officers and 70 inmates examined the effect and use of contraband. It is clear that there are several routes of entry and reasons why inmates use contraband. This study has shown that the most popular routes of entry is through members of staff, during social visits and contraband thrown over perimeter walls of the prison at 25%, 19% and 17% respectively. Majority of inmates (63%) use contraband as a form of currency to make prison life more comfortable and maintain own contraband use. This study also reveals the negative effect associated with contraband use including an increase in insecurity, namely bullying, violence and withdrawal. It is essential that prisons provide adequate detoxification to reduce withdrawal symptoms and alleviate their need to import or purchase illegal drugs. Prisons must increase their efforts to reduce supply. This will reduce opportunistic use, and with it the risk of prisoners developing ‟jail habits‟ in custody. Devising a policy for tackling contraband in prison is prudent for major contribution in reducing criminal behaviour in prison as well as offences outside prisons. Finally it is essential to recognise that increased security has significant effects; it can disorganise and eliminate contraband supply routes. Details: Nairobi City, Kenya: Kenyatta University, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 2, 2016 at: http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/13790 Year: 2015 Country: Kenya URL: http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/13790 Shelf Number: 140115 Keywords: ContrabandPrison ContrabandPrisoner RehabilitationSmuggling |
Author: Delaney, Ruth Title: Making the Grade: Developing Quality Postsecondary Education Programs in Prison Summary: With its July 2015 announcement of the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, the U.S. Department of Education ushered in what could be a new era of expanded opportunities for postsecondary education in our nation's prisons. The Second Chance Pell Pilot makes students incarcerated in state and federal prisons eligible for need-based financial aid in a limited number of authorized sites-meaning postsecondary education is likely to become a reality for an increased number of the more than 1.5 million people in prisons nationwide. Research shows that-among other benefits to individuals, families, communities, and prisons-incarcerated people who participate in prison education programs are 43 percent less likely to recidivate than those who do not. This report offers lessons from the field on the implementation of these programs in corrections settings across the country. Details: New York Vera Institute of Justice, Center on Sentencing and Corrections, 2016. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2016 at: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/making-the-grade-postsecondary-education-programs-in-prison/legacy_downloads/making-the-grade-postsecondary-education-programs-in-prison.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/making-the-grade-postsecondary-education-programs-in-prison/legacy_downloads/making-the-grade-postsecondary-education-programs-in-prison.pdf Shelf Number: 140146 Keywords: Correctional EducationCorrectional ProgramsPrisoner Educational ProgramsPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Taliaferro, Wayne Title: From Incarceration to Reentry: A Look at Trends, Gaps, and Opportunities in Correctional Education and Training Summary: With record levels of men and women incarcerated—totalling 2.2 million—the United States places more people in prison at a higher rate than any other developed nation. That total also represents 20 percent of the world's prison population, which is disproportionately high considering that the U.S. makes up less than 5 percent of the world’s population. For low-income communities, the disparities are even more alarming. In 2014, the median annual income for people prior to incarceration was less than $20,000. Furthermore, Blacks and Latinos, who are disproportionately impacted by poverty, also have the highest rates of imprisonment and account for more than half of all prisoners. However, the context surrounding this crisis tells a much larger story, which is partly rooted in educational inequities. More than two-thirds of state prison inmates do not have a high school diploma. The roots of these disparities are complex. Pipelines to prison have historically been concentrated in low-income communities of color. From an early age, many youth in these spatially segregated communities experience economic and environmental injustices, underfunded and under-resourced schools, harsh school discipline policies, and exposure to crime and violence in ways that create diminished opportunities for economic and educational mobility. These realities are a deeper reflection of historic and present injustices ingrained in larger systems of governance. The criminal justice system often reinforces these embedded structures of inequality. Over-criminalization, implicit bias, harsh sentencing policies, and judicial and prosecutorial discretion disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities, having directly shaped the system of mass incarceration we know today. Together, these disparities create conditions of enhanced susceptibility to criminal justice system involvement for people of color that can be characterized as targeted and concentrated more than anything else. Although mass incarceration does not solely affect communities of color, they experience inequitable impacts from its pervasively harsh outcomes. Similarly, people of color suffer disproportionately from the collateral consequences imposed on individuals with a criminal record who return to society after serving their time in prison. Collateral and systemic barriers, such as disenfranchisement, legalized discrimination in housing and public benefits access, and biases in hiring, along with impediments to educational opportunities, make it especially difficult for returning citizens to gain employment, stability, and an overall fair chance upon reentry. These diminished economic opportunities contribute to the cycle of recidivism, resulting in three-quarters of returning citizens re-offending within five years. Taking this entire context into account, this report examines correctional education, as it is a critical aspect of the complex mass incarceration system that can make a real difference in reversing this vicious cycle. While correctional education and training is by no means a panacea for the grave injustices of this system, it can play an important role in improving the educational and employment trajectories of the returning citizens who face greatly restricted opportunities to participate in our economic mainstream.While the quality and accessibility of correctional education and training opportunities vary largely across states, as does the consistency of accessible and well-articulated education and training opportunities for returning citizens upon release, there is room for significant innovation and improvement. Doing so will require reforms across multiple systems to address these disparities. With that in mind, we focus on the state of correctional education funding streams, program offerings, and the continuum of education and training opportunities upon release. Details: Washington, DC: CLASP, 2016. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 14, 2016 at: http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/2016.10.27_fromincarcerationtoreentry.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/2016.10.27_fromincarcerationtoreentry.pdf Shelf Number: 146973 Keywords: Correctional EducationPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationRacial DisparitiesVocational Education and Training |
Author: Hopkins, Tom Title: Turning Pages, Changing Lives: Evaluation of the Shannon Trust Turning Pages programme Summary: Turning Pages is a newly developed reading programme by Shannon Trust and, whilst it shares a focus on phonics with its predecessor Toe by Toe, it has many unique factors that aim to contribute to the development and acquisition of reading in adult Learners within the context of prison. This evaluation therefore aims to monitor the impact Turning Pages has on Learners and Mentors and by doing so aims to answer the following research questions: • How effective are the Turning Pages teaching methods in improving reading ability in adults? • How important are the delivery methods in prisons, the quality of provision and the impact of the one on the other? • What are the wider benefits/outcomes to Learners and Mentors of involvement in Turning Pages? The evaluation drew on multiple theoretical perspectives to address these questions and to make judgements about effectiveness. Phonological awareness and de-coding skills were assessed through the use of quantitative, standardised word and non-word reading tests undertaken over a six-month period. As Turning Pages incorporates five manuals that contain interactive learning activities for Learners, the evaluation considered the impact manual progression had on Learners’ reading ability. The impact of working with Turning Pages on the lives of Learners and Mentors was explored through semi-structured interviews and discussion groups. Key Findings How effective are the Turning Pages teaching methods in improving reading ability in adults? • Turning Pages was able to promote the word decoding skills and sight word reading of adult Learners through the application of a synthetic phonics based approach. • Significant gains in word reading and non-word reading scores were found for all Learners involved in the Turning Pages evaluation (regardless of their initial reading ability) during the first three months and from baseline to the final six-month period. • Learners reported an increase in reading confidence over the six-month period. • Learners reported a significant increase in their self-rated reading attainment, enjoyment and reading comprehension ability over the six-month period. • Learners who had either completed Turning Pages or were reading the final manual, read significantly more words and non-words compared to their peers and rated themselves as more able readers over the six-month period. • Learners and Mentors place significant value on the informal, non-institutional nature of Turning Pages and identified the adult focus of the programme, one-to-one support of Mentors and the opportunity to work at their own pace as key factors in supporting successful learning. How important are the delivery methods in prisons, quality of provision and the impact of the one on the other? • The Learner/Mentor pairing is highly valued by all parties and central to the success of the programme. The nuanced, individualised approach to support taken by Mentors (‘grounded pedagogies’) in negotiation with their Learners is seen by Learners as central to their success. • The success of Turning Pages is related to the ‘un-schooled’, social approach Turning Pages has to adult learning (i.e. occurring outside formal education) which, based upon responses in this evaluation, has been shown to attract Learners. • The number of weekly sessions Learners had with Mentors ranged from 3 to 5. The number of reading sessions was not found to have an effect on reading performance. It may be possible therefore for Learners to vary the number of sessions each week without negatively affecting reading improvement. It is still recommended, however, that the full allocation of 5 sessions is made available to all Learners. • Learners attending functional skills classes read fewer words and non-words than their peers and they were also completing the reading manuals at a significantly slower rate. However, this sub-group still showed improvement in their reading abilities. The fact that most reported having a diagnosis of dyslexia suggests that this (along with other potential learning needs) may be contributing to their slower rate of reading acquisition and manual progression. • Learners were progressing through the manuals with most having reached either the second manual or stage two of the first after the first three months and after six-months, most Learners had either completed Turning Pages or had reached the final manual. This suggests that the duration of six months at the intensity of around 3-5 weekly sessions was enough for Learners to reach the final stages of the reading programme. • Manual progression was related to perceived reading improvement and gains in reading scores, suggesting that improvement in reading over time was related to the Turning Pages manuals. • Significant positive correlations were found between perceived reading ability, perceived reading enjoyment and perceived reading comprehension ability at the six-month stage, and perceived ratings also correlated significantly with word and non-word reading scores at the three-month stage. This suggests that some importance should be weighted to the promotion of reading enjoyment, comprehension and reader confidence in the reading sessions for Learners engaged in Turning Pages. What are the wider benefits/outcomes to Learners and Mentors of involvement in Turning Pages? • Findings show that after the six-month intervention, Learners were reading more for functional participation within prison and for social engagement. This also included reading materials that Learners had reported a lack of confidence reading prior to their engagement with Turning Pages, such as legal letters, books and application forms. • Turning Pages provided Learners with productive opportunities to re-engage with learning, build confidence and work towards goals that were meaningful to their own lives. • Phase Two data suggests that working with Turning Pages provided important opportunities for Learners and Mentors to exercise a degree of choice in an otherwise highly regulated environment – this fed into a re-appraisal of their existing ideas and experiences of education and opened up opportunities for thoughtful reflection on the past, present and future. This enabled participants to begin to articulate new hopes and aspirations for the future. Recommendations For Shannon Trust • It is recommended that the reading plan model of participation (peer mentoring) continues to remain separate from formal compulsory education to maintain the un-schooled, social approach Turning Pages has to adult learning, which based upon responses in this evaluation has been shown to attract Learners. • To provide better access to more reading books (Readers) that accompany the manuals for Learners. • To consider including building opportunities for reading comprehension in to the manuals or associated materials to encourage Mentors to target reading comprehension in conjunction with the Readers. • To identify Learners with additional learning needs and Learners who are accessing literacy support to monitor their progression and provide any additional tailored support that focuses on reinforcing components learnt in the manuals. Promoting greater awareness of dyslexia and managing this through reading programmes like Turning Pages could be incorporated in the Mentor training. For the prison service and NOMS • To promote awareness of Turning Pages across all prison staff and prospective Learners and in partnership with Shannon Trust develop a standardised model to which new potential Learners are introduced and encouraged to participate in the reading programme. • Embed the Turning Pages sessions into the prison routine and other learning/educational sessions so as not to disrupt Learners’ free time and to ensure that sessions are being delivered. For research • To fully test the effectiveness of Turning Pages, any outcomes measured would need to be compared to a comparison group who are ideally also receiving a similar educational intervention. • It would be useful to gain information on the way in which Mentors creatively tailor their approach to Learners in conjunction with the resources used in Turning Pages and to identify the extent to which this contributes to a successful learning experience for Learners enrolled on Turning Pages. • To assess prison staff’s awareness of Turning Pages and its psycho-social benefits in order to highlight potential solutions for increasing awareness and Learner recruitment. • To monitor the long-term value and benefits of working with Turning Pages in a longitudinal impact study. • To monitor the implementation of any reading comprehension activities and the extent to which this aids the development of reading. Details: London: Shannon Trust, 2017. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2017 at: http://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/3809/1/report Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/3809/1/report Shelf Number: 144828 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsEducational ProgramsLiteracy ProgramsMentoring ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationReading Programs |
Author: Clinks Title: Valuing Volunteers in Prison: A Review of Volunteer Involvement in Prisons Summary: This report, commissioned at the request of Andrew Selous MP, explores how we can increase the amount and scope of prison volunteering across England and Wales. One of NOMS key priorities is supporting the use of volunteers in prisons. Clinks, NOMS, voluntary sector organisations and prisons have all been keen to identify good practice that can be used more widely to maximise the impact of volunteering and minimise any barriers that limit its use. This publication is intended to inform individuals and organisations involved with, or interested in, enhancing volunteering in prisons. It explores four connected questions: What are the benefits of volunteering in prisons? Where are there current examples of good practice, and where are there gaps? What are the key supports and barriers to effective volunteer involvement in prisons? And what actions would support the development of more effective volunteering? FINDINGS The report finds: Prison volunteering has clear benefits for stakeholders. Several factors support successful volunteering including clear strategic oversight at governor level; robust recruitment procedures; support with security vetting; and good management and supervision. Models of volunteering vary, with some prisons having a clear strategy. However, most prisons we visited did not have a whole-organisation approach to volunteer involvement. Barriers to successful volunteering include delays to recruitment, often associated with security vetting and training; a large time commitment often during office hours; and lack of support from prison staff. RECOMMENDATIONS The report makes seven recommendations including: clear roles should be identified for volunteers, and their work should be strategically integrated prisons and their partners should proactively recruit volunteers from as diverse a base as possible volunteering should receive a consistent level of coordination and support.. Details: London: Clinks, 2016. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 7, 2017 at: http://www.clinks.org/sites/default/files/basic/files-downloads/valuing_volunteering_in_prison_-_a_review_of_volunteer_involvement_in_prisons_july_2016_final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.clinks.org/sites/default/files/basic/files-downloads/valuing_volunteering_in_prison_-_a_review_of_volunteer_involvement_in_prisons_july_2016_final.pdf Shelf Number: 141372 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationVolunteers |
Author: Tobon, Santiago Title: Condiciones De Reclusion Y Reincidencia: Evidencia De Una Expansion De Cupos Carcelario (Prison Conditions and Recidivism: Evidence from an Expansion in Prison Capacity) Summary: I investigate the causal effect of prison conditions on recidivism by exploring the construction and operation of new prisons in Colombia. Between March 2010 and January 2013 ten new prisons started operation in the Colombian penitentiary system. These prisons, known as third generation prisons, have better infrastructure, lighting and accommodation services, electrical and sanitary networks, and more and better trained security, administrative and rehabilitation personnel. Results based on information from more than 7,000 inmates transferred to the new prisons within the first ten days of operation, show that an increase of one standard deviation in the proportion of time served by an inmate in a third generation prison, is associated with a decrease of 15.8 % in the probability of arrest and re-entry in the year following their release. Details: Bogota: Universidad de los Andes, Colombia - Department of Economics, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Documento CEDE No. 2017-07: Accessed April 22, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2921477 (Article in Spanish) Year: 2017 Country: Colombia URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2921477 Shelf Number: 145153 Keywords: Correctional Administration Prison Conditions Prisoner RehabilitationPrisons |
Author: Willison, Janeen Buck Title: Creating and Measuring a Healing Environment in the Virginia Department of Corrections The National Institute of Corrections' Norval Morris Workforce Initiative: Wave 2 Findings Summary: This report presents early findings from the Virginia Department of Corrections' (VA-DOC) Healing Environment Initiative (HEI), which is designed to inspire staff toward excellence, foster positive behavior change among people housed in Virginia's prisons, and promote safer communities. Analyses of two waves of surveys of over 6,300 VA-DOC staff indicate that leadership development coupled with training on effective communication techniques positively influence workplace culture, and staff are more optimistic about their role in creating a dynamic, ethical, positive workplace. However, staff views of the HEI vary by level and agency, with supervisors viewing the HEI more favorably than frontline staff, and community corrections staff rating the HEI more positively than prison staff. Staff in higher security prisons question the feasibility of the HEI. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2014. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2017 at: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/91411/nm_wave_2_brief_createmeasure_hei.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/91411/nm_wave_2_brief_createmeasure_hei.pdf Shelf Number: 146357 Keywords: Corrections OfficersPrison GuardsPrison StaffPrisoner RehabilitationPrisons |
Author: Fair, Helen Title: Peer relations: Review of learning from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Prison Reform Fellowships - Part IV Summary: This Briefing is concerned with the broad theme of 'connections'. Its particular focus is on interventions visited by the Churchill Fellows which aim to harness the power of peer relations towards positive goals. - This report looks at the importance of positive peer relations at all stages of the criminal justice programme, specifically: - Peer relations as a tool to support desistance and diversion - Promoting positive peer relations in prison - Peer support on release from prison - Research has long documented the enormous influence of peer pressure - whether positive or negative - on offending behaviour. Positive peer pressure is utilised in work with young fathers and programmes which help to develop youth leadership, while work to reduce gang violence aims to counteract the negative effects of peer pressure. - In England and Wales, the growing use and benefits of peer support across the prison estate have been recognised by inspectors. Mentoring roles encompass the provision of emotional support, advising, and facilitating self-help or learning. - Examples of peer support programmes visited by Fellows include a programme run by ex-prisoners in the US which encourages the peer-led and grassroots education of prisoners; the use of drama to promote positive behaviour in prison in South Africa; and a programme in the US which uses life sentence prisoners as 'social mentors' to help new prisoners to adapt to prison life. - The importance of peer support for those leaving prison and re-entering the community is widely recognised, and is increasingly viewed by the UK government as a key means of ensuring continuity of support for those released from prison. - Examples of such 'through the gate' support was seen in Finland, where former prisoners work with those being released from prison to help them access the services they need to resettle back into the community, and in the US through the Delancey Street Foundation, which is entirely staffed by people who have been through the prison system, and teaches marketable skills to recently released prisoners. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2017. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2017 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/WCMT/peer_relations_FINAL.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/WCMT/peer_relations_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 146485 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsInmatesPeer RelationsPeer SupportPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationPrisonersVolunteers in Criminal Justice |
Author: Farmer, Michael (Lord Farmer) Title: The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners' Family Ties to Prevention Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime Summary: The Secretary of State commissioned this Review to investigate how supporting men in prison in England and Wales to engage with their families, can reduce reoffending and assist in addressing the intergenerational transmission of crime (a landmark study found that 63% of prisoners' sons went on to offend themselves ) as part of the Government's urgently-needed reform agenda. The Ministry of Justice's own research shows that, for a prisoner who receives visits from a partner or family member, the odds of reoffending are 39% lower than for prisoners who had not received such visits. Supportive relationships with family members and significant others give meaning and all important motivation to other strands of rehabilitation and resettlement activity. As one prisoner told me, 'If I don't see my family I will lose them, if I lose them what have I got left?' Yet the unacceptable inconsistency of work that helps prisoners to maintain and strengthen these relationships across the estate shows it is not yet mainstream in offender management in the same way as employment and education. Family work should always be seen and referred to alongside these two rehabilitation activities as the third leg of the stool that brings stability and structure to prisoners' lives, particularly when they leave prison. That is why the overarching conclusion of my Review is that good family relationships are indispensable for delivering the Government's far-reaching plans across all the areas outlined in their white paper on Prison Safety and Reform, published in November 2016. If prisons are truly to be places of reform, we cannot ignore the reality that a supportive relationship with at least one person is indispensable to a prisoner's ability to get through their sentence well and achieve rehabilitation. It is not only family members who can provide these and, wherever family relationships are mentioned, it should be assumed that other significant and supportive relationships are also inferred. Consistently good family work, which brings men face-to-face with their enduring responsibilities to the family left in the community, is indispensable to the rehabilitation culture we urgently need to develop in our penal system and has to be integral to the changes sought. It helps them forge a new identity for themselves, an important precursor to desistance from crime, based on being a good role model to their children, a caring husband, partner and friend and a reliable provider through legal employment. However, responsibilities are not discharged in a vacuum. Families need to be willing and able to engage with the rehabilitation process, so harnessing the resource of good family relationships must be a golden thread running through the processes of all prisons, as well as in the implementation of all themes of the white paper. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2017. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636619/farmer-review-report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636619/farmer-review-report.pdf Shelf Number: 146878 Keywords: Children of PrisonersFamilies of InmatesIntergenerational CrimePrison VisitsPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivismReoffendingVisitation |
Author: National Reentry Resource Center Title: Making People's Transition from Prison and Jail to the Community Safe and Successful: A Snapshot of National Progress in Reentry Summary: One of the most significant developments in criminal justice policy over the past 15 years has been a fundamental shift in thinking about the primary purpose of prisons and jails. Not long ago, elected officials saw the principal responsibility of corrections administrators as providing for the care, custody, and control of people who are incarcerated. Today, there is widespread agreement that government has a responsibility to ensure that when people are released to the community from jail or prison, they are less likely to reoffend than they were at the start of their sentence. Although no single event is associated with this change in philosophy, a key milestone stands out. Late in 2004, Congress set to work on the Second Chance Act, which the House and Senate later passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Elected officials in the nation's capital had made clear that ensuring people's safe and successful transition from prison and jail to the community wasn't a partisan issue, but simply good, smart policy - because anything short of that objective compromises public safety, wastes taxpayer dollars, and undermines the well-being and stability of communities. A decade since the passage of the Second Chance Act, it is time to consider a critical question: Have local, state, and federal efforts to improve reentry outcomes for people under correctional supervision yielded sufficient results? This brief highlights five ways in which state and local governments' approaches to reentry and recidivism reduction are fundamentally different today than they were a decade and a half ago. Details: New York: National Reentry Resource Center, 2017. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/6.8.18_A-Snapshot-of-National-Progress-in-Reentry1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/6.8.18_A-Snapshot-of-National-Progress-in-Reentry1.pdf Shelf Number: 148048 Keywords: Criminal Justice policyPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationRecidivism |
Author: Pham, Duy Title: Incarceration to Reentry: Education & Training Pathways in Indiana Summary: Because the social, economic, political, historical, and racial context that shapes the criminal justice system is both complex and extensive, individuals who have been incarcerated face limited opportunities - particularly for education and training - both during and after incarceration. Historical investments in corrections and policies that prioritize punishment over prevention and rehabilitation have been unsuccessful in improving public safety and have greatly marginalized low-income communities and communities of color. Research has shown, however, that correctional education and training can significantly improve the outcomes of those returning to society. These positive outcomes are leading to increased federal and state momentum to improve postsecondary access for prisoners and are lifting this issue higher on reform agendas. Nonetheless, the education and training needs of prisoners are far more complex than what traditional postsecondary education can meet, and linking those needs to training that articulates to post-release opportunities is essential for successful reentry. Building on the theme of continuity from incarceration to reentry, these briefs will highlight the continuous improvement stories of states that are moving toward this type of alignment. This brief will focus on Indiana. Details: Washington, DC: CLASP, 2017. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/publications/2017/11/2017_incarcerationtoreentryindiana.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/publications/2017/11/2017_incarcerationtoreentryindiana.pdf Shelf Number: 148272 Keywords: Correctional EducationEducational ProgramsPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationVocational Education and Training |
Author: DeVeaux, Mika'il Title: Fitting-in: How Formerly Incarcerated New York City Black Men Define Success Post-Prison Summary: The problem of community reintegration emerged following the rise of the US prison population, which began in in the 1970s, disproportionately affecting US-born African American men. In this qualitative study, the researcher examined the perceptions of 17 formerly incarcerated New York City African American men to understand how they defined post-prison success after having been in the community at least three years in the wake of the era of mass (hyper) incarceration. During the study, the researcher employed a constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006) approach using data from semi-structured interviews to identify factors that enabled these African American men to make the social and psychological adjustments needed to get on with their lives post-release. Success, as defined by the men in the study, meant fitting-in to their home communities as if they had never been in prison. The findings of this study demonstrate that success is a construct inclusive of material, social, and psychological components. A number of themes emerged from the data that respondents attached importance to that the researcher linked to each component of success and subsequently related to the fitting-in process. The eligibility requirements for this study, which limited participation to men who had been out of prison at least three years, restricted generalizability of the results and suggest that length of time since release likely influenced definitions of success. This dissertation concludes proposing research to examine potentially influencing issues related to time upon definitions of success, post-prison achievements, and the psychological effects of the incarceration experience and its relationship to African American men's post-prison experiences. These findings can enhance social work practice with justice-involved African American men, enable social workers to better understand this population, and encourage the development of additional methods to address the psychological challenges related to post-prison adjustment likely to contribute to their well-being. Details: New York: City University of New York, 2017. 243p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 23, 2018 at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1822/ Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1822/ Shelf Number: 149548 Keywords: African American MenEx-OffendersPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationReintegration |
Author: Champion, Nina Title: Turning 180 Degrees: The Potential of Prison University Partnerships to Transform Learners into Leaders Summary: This report is based on travels to four countries: Belgium, Denmark, Poland and United States (California) to explore prison university partnerships. A typology of ten different models of collaboration is set out in the report: 1. Inside and outside students studying together in prison 2. Professors and former professors teaching/mentoring inside students 3. Outside students teaching/mentoring inside students 4. Inside students attending university on day release 5. Digital and distance learning 6. Pipelines to university after release 7. Staff professional development 8. Participatory research 9. Co-production and co-creation 10. Advocacy and activism The list above reflects the vast array of potential partnership approaches to meet different needs and to suit different establishments. Often these models overlapped, with learners gaining a variety of opportunities to engage with higher education. I visited new and emerging partnerships in Europe and longer-established partnerships in the United States. Meeting many alumni of these programmes in California, who were now community leaders influencing social change, led me to analyse the findings through the lens of leadership. Building on the concept of becoming 'assets to society', a stated outcome of prison education in England (MoJ, 2017), this report assesses the ways in which prison university partnerships build human capital and social capital. I use the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996) as a framework to define the individual, group and community values observed in these partnerships, showing how they have the potential to transform learners into leaders and affect change: As well as the benefits, this report outlines the challenges of prison university partnerships, in relation to five key themes: People, Logistics, Content, Resources and Impact. In conclusion, assessing the relevance to the UK, I call for universities to see people in prison as future change-makers and urge criminal justice organisations to focus on developing the leadership capabilities of people with lived expertise to drive social change, particularly at this time of 'prison crisis'. Universities should be at the heart of this movement offering opportunities both in custody and after release as part of their widening participation strategies. Prisons should support this by removing barriers to successful collaboration and by embracing partnership working. Details: Prisoners' Education Trust, 2018. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: http://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/data/Resources/Turning%20180%20Degrees%20FINAL%20VERSION.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonerseducation.org.uk/data/Resources/Turning%20180%20Degrees%20FINAL%20VERSION.pdf Shelf Number: 150037 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesCorrectional EducationMentoringPrison EducationPrisoner Rehabilitation |
Author: Ipsos MORI, Social Research Institute Title: Evaluation of prisoner learning: initial impacts and delivery Summary: Ipsos MORI, London Economics and Sheffield Hallam University were commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) 1 and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)2 in March 2015 to undertake a process and impact evaluation of prisoner education. This included the impacts of prisoner education under Phase 3 (August 2009 - July 2012) and Phase 4 (introduced August 2012) of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS3 and OLASS4), as well as changes made to the service under OLASS4, encompassing: - new co-commissioning arrangements between the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)3 , Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS, formerly the National Offender Management Service (NOMS)) and prisons to facilitate greater local influence on learning; - modified governance structure, including the creation of Governance Boards covering regional Units of Procurement and the clustering of prisons within these areas, to oversee revised funding arrangements, build strategic partnerships, and facilitate more responsive commissioning; - new delivery arrangements, including a stronger emphasis on assessment of learning needs, an improved focus on vocational learning, and provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD); - the delivery of the National Careers Service in prisons; - the Virtual Campus (VC) - a secure internet-based platform to support prisoners to conduct online learning and job search; - the introduction of mandatory English and maths assessments from summer 2014 for newly received prisoners on entry into the system, and; - the introduction of student tuition fee loans for higher education (HE) after September 2012 and Advanced Learner Loans4 for further education (FE) courses at Level 3 and 4, for eligible prisoners aged 24 and over from 2013/14. Details: London: HM Prison & Probation Service, 2018. 114p.; 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: Accessed May 24, 2018 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-prisoner-learning-initial-impacts-and-delivery Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-prisoner-learning-initial-impacts-and-delivery Shelf Number: 150353 Keywords: Correctional EducationCorrectional ProgramsPrisoner RehabilitationVocational Education and Training |
Author: Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Resettlement: An Inspection of Resettlement in the Northern Ireland Prison Service Summary: A core function of the prison service was to reduce reoffending and provide resettlement services for prisoners being released back into the community. The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) could not deliver resettlement alone - prisons had a duty to accept people committed by the courts and many had chronic mental health and learning difficulties, drug and alcohol addictions and chaotic lifestyles. The NIPS and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) had to work with the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT), addiction services and other social and voluntary and community service partners to help prisoners address these problems during the time they were incarcerated. There had been a significant change in the NIPS since the publication of the Prison Review Team (PRT) Report in 2011, including to resettlement practice. The offender management model was based on the PRT recommendation and was delivered through the Prisoner Development Model (PDM). This was a structured framework, and provided the individual prisoner focus, to identify and assess a prisoner's risks, needs and strengths. A Prisoner Development Plan (PDP) was developed with the prisoner to support his/ her resettlement back into the community. This defined the purpose of work, actions taken and support provided for an individual to: - reduce their risk of harm; - reduce their likelihood of reoffending; and - prepare them for return to the community. This work included interventions to address offending behaviour, maintain family contact, gain skills and qualifications to help access employment, together with practical assistance and support with housing, finance and debt, health and addictions. The PDM was jointly delivered by the NIPS and the PBNI. CJI would be very supportive of this collaborative working model as having the potential to produce the best outcomes for prisoners. However a change in working practices had reduced joint working and impacted on the operational delivery of the model, and Inspectors were concerned that it was not operating as effectively as it could. Working practices between the NIPS and the PBNI needed to adapt to address prisoner need and increase the effectiveness of joint delivery. There were significant resources deployed to provide resettlement services for prisoners. The PDM had been in place since 2015 and there was a broad provision of specialist support by voluntary and community sector (VCS) and statutory organisations to support prisoner need. The NIPS, PBNI and VCS staff worked hard to provide support, sometimes for very difficult prisoners, many of whom had complex and multiple needs. Inspectors were impressed by the attitude, knowledge and commitment of many of the prison and probation officers and VCS staff that we met during the inspection. There was an effective system to measure resettlement processes and activities, but measurement of the impact of these on outcomes for prisoners was less well developed. CJI saw a need for meaningful performance measures of outcomes, over the longer-term, to allow both the NIPS and the PBNI management to assess the effectiveness of resettlement provision, and to allow planning for future delivery and resourcing. Previous reports have highlighted the need for a more integrated psychology provision across the criminal justice agencies, and whilst work had been progressed there was a need for the outstanding work to be completed. The PDM was a comprehensive process which covered the prisoner's journey from committal to release, and recent prison inspections have found this to be the area where the NIPS performed most strongly. Inspectors would be of the view that implementation of the model could be improved in a number of areas and have recommended the introduction of a system of supervision for NIPS staff in their casework with individual prisoners. The NIPS also needed to do more to fully integrate the important role of residential officers to contribute to the PDM and successful prisoner resettlement. The NIPS recognised that there had been limitations in the prisoner assessment process and this had led to an internal review which Inspectors welcomed as an opportunity to reexamine its effectiveness. For prisoners to address their offending behaviour was crucial to successful resettlement and to reduce the reoffending and recall rate. Inspectors were concerned that the schedule for the delivery of programmes significantly underestimated the needs of the prison population and the demand for interventions. Programmes should be delivered on the basis of need with suitable interventions for short-term prisoners, a streamlined process for referral and assessment, and the ability to fast-track and prioritise prolific offenders. There was also a need to assess the outcomes of programme delivery to inform future provision. There was some good work to target and provide support for the wider needs of prisoners serving short-sentences and the NIPS should take action to target resources to reduce the reoffending rates for this group. The transfer of prisoners between Maghaberry and Magilligan could be disruptive and unsettling for prisoners and their families, and were primarily for population management rather than to further prisoners' resettlement prospects. It was the view of Inspectors that the NIPS should review its transfer policy to prioritise resettlement opportunities. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection, 2018. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2018 at: http://cjini.org/getattachment/1ded7a6c-034e-4a62-bf02-96ee30584645/picture.aspx Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://cjini.org/getattachment/1ded7a6c-034e-4a62-bf02-96ee30584645/picture.aspx Shelf Number: 150416 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsPrisoner ReentryPrisoner RehabilitationPrisoner ResettlementResettlement |
Author: Berger, Ryan Title: Kriminalomsorgen: A Look at the World's Most Humane Prison System in Norway Summary: Kriminalomsorgen, Norway's corrections system, is described as the world's most humane prison system. Kriminalomsorgen focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration as the primary purposes of prison, and implements these policies through the Principle of Normality, which mandates that life in prison should be as similar to life outside of prison as possible. Norwegians believe that prison's sole punishment should be the loss of liberty, and that offenders continue to be entitled to all other rights and services that every other citizen receives. Bastoy Prison and Halden Prison stand out as two of Norway's most famous prisons, renowned for their lavish amenities and services. Comparing the Norwegian prison system with the American prison system reveals stark differences. The Norwegian system is far more expensive, with the cost per prisoner three times higher than it is in the American system. However, the Norwegian system appears to do a much better job of reducing recidivism than the American system. Indeed, the rate of American recidivism is up to three times higher than the rate of Norwegian recidivism. Kriminalomsorgen is an impressive system that does many things well, but implementing a similar system in the United States would prove difficult. Firstly, Norway is a much different country than the United States, as Norway is a small, homogenous country with a low prison population while the United States is a large, heterogeneous country with a massive prison population. Thus, a system that succeeds in Norway might not necessarily succeed in the United States. Secondly, Kriminalomsorgen is expensive, so implementing it in the United States would create a heavy financial burden. Finally, American emphasis on punishment and retribution clashes with the rehabilitative ideals underpinning Kriminalomsorgen. Details: Unpublished paper, 2016. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 3, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2883512 Year: 2016 Country: Norway URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2883512 Shelf Number: 150458 Keywords: Correctional Institutions Prison Conditions Prisoner RehabilitationPrisons |
Author: Pullukattu, Liz Title: Prison City: Redesigning Pollsmoor Prison Summary: Rehabilitating the Prison System: The prison system in South Africa is a harsh and ineffective system that emphasises the need to punish rather than rehabilitate and reintegrate the incarcerated back into society. Although a lot of prisons in South Africa host a number of workshops and activities which have been introduced to inmates for such purposes- the recidivism rates of offenders, that have ended up in the penal system, has failed to drop or decline. A Process of deconstruction and synthesis: The method of this study is to analyse and deconstruct existing prison or correctional/ penitentiary/ rehabilitation institute landscapes into potential design components and then synthesise these into environments that can promote the rehabilitation of prisoners. The projects analysed are of international and South African origin, and are of prisons or mental and other high-security institutions. The analysed projects will be looked at as potential interventions that can be synthesised within the landscapes (rather, lack of landscapes) of Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. Looking into redesigning Pollsmoor Prisona prison where conditions do not support opportunities for rehabilitation and integration and where bland, cold concrete and brick facades enclose inmates for mostly 23-hours a day. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town. 2017. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 15, 2019 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/28134 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa URL: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/28134 Shelf Number: 154617 Keywords: Pollsmoor Prison Prison Architecture Prison Design Prison Reform Prisoner RehabilitationPrisons |
Author: Mastrobuoni, Giovanni Title: Rehabilitation and Recidivism: Evidence from an Open Prison Summary: We use quasi-random variation in the fraction of time served in the Italian "open prison of Bollate to estimate the effect of rehabilitation efforts on recidivism. We deal with the endogeneity of rehabilitation assignments by focussing on those sources of variability in the length of exposure to rehabilitation efforts that are plausibly unrelated to recidivism. Our most stringent test restricts the analysis to inmates who, due to overcrowding in nearby prisons, are displaced to Bollate controlling for observed and unobserved measures of potential selection. Spending one more year at the rehabilitating prison (and one less year at an ordinary one) reduces recidivism by between 10 and 15 percentage points (from a mean recidivism of about 40 percent). For the group of displaced inmates, which is shown to be negatively selected, the effects of rehabilitation efforts on recidivism are larger. While we find evidence that over time Bollate inmates become more likely to work outside the prison, more than a single mechanism seem to underly these effects. Details: Unpublished paper, 2014. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2019 at: http://www.antoniocasella.eu/nume/Mastrobuoni_Terlizzese_bollate_oct14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Italy URL: http://www.antoniocasella.eu/nume/Mastrobuoni_Terlizzese_bollate_oct14.pdf Shelf Number: 155525 Keywords: Open Prisons Prison Conditions Prisoner RehabilitationPrisoners Recidivism |