NCJ Number
60717
Date Published
1978
Length
168 pages
Annotation
THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF 100 MALE FEDERAL OFFENDERS AWAITING SENTENCE ARE ASSESSED, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO OFFENDERS ARE SURVEYED.
Abstract
THE DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE COLLECTED THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES; ONE WAS DESIGNED TO OBTAIN INFORMATION REGARDING THE OFFENDER'S PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND INCARCERATION HISTORY, THE SECOND TO OBTAIN FROM EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS THE NATURE AND AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAMS FOR OFFENDERS. ONE HUNDRED OFFENDER QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED, AND NUMEROUS RESPONSES WERE OBTAINED FROM EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS. THE RESPONDENT OFFENDER POPULATION WAS RACIALLY MIXED, PRIMARILY BETWEEN 25 AND 40 YEARS OLD, AND INCLUDED SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH COLLEGE TRAINING. AFTER DATA COLLECTION AND ORGANIZATION, COMPARISONS WERE MADE BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL'S CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGRAM CHOICES TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHARACTERISTICS AND AVAILABLE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. SEVENTY-SIX OF THE RESPONDENTS REQUESTED OCCUPATIONS REQUIRING COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR COLLEGE COMPLETION. IN TERMS OF ADMISSION CRITERIA, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OFFENDERS' STATUS WAS NOT A BARRIER TO ANY ACADEMIC OR VOCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT WAS AVAILABLE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OF THE SELECTED URBAN COMMUNITY WERE SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MALE OFFENDERS AWAITING SENTENCE, IF THEY WERE PLACED ON PROBATION. IT WAS ALSO CONCLUDED THAT THE INSTITUTIONS OFFER SUFFICIENT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO ASSIST THE OFFENDER IN DEVELOPING ADEQUATE SOCIAL AND COPING SKILLS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FUTURE RESEARCH EFFORTS BE DIRECTED TOWARD DETERMINING THE REASONS WHY THE OFFENDERS WERE IN JAIL AS OPPOSED TO BEING IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED INCLUDE LACK OF MOTIVATION, FINANCIAL SITUATION, AND ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION. FOOTNOTES, TABULAR DATA, APPENDIXES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. (LWM)