NCJ Number
14010
Date Published
1974
Length
96 pages
Annotation
THE JOB THERAPY PROGRAM PROVIDES OFFENDERS WITH SPONSORS WHO TRY TO ALLEVIATE THE OFFENDER'S ISOLATION WITH VISITS AND WHO, ALONG WITH PROJECT STAFF, TRY TO FIND SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT ON THE OFFENDER'S RELEASE FROM PRISON.
Abstract
THE GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF INMATES TAKING ADVANTAGES OF THE INSTITUTION'S VOCATIONAL RESOURCES, A REDUCTION IN INSTITUTION AND PAROLE STAFF, A HIGHER RATE OF SUCCESSFUL READJUSTMENT BY RELEASED INMATES, AND A REDUCTION IN THE FINANCIAL PRESURES INMATES ARE FACED WITH IN THE PERIOD AFTER RELEASE. FURTHERMORE, THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION QUANTIFY THESE GOALS. THE OBJECTIVES ARE TO MATCH 400 WARDS WITH SPONSORS FOR THE COMMUNITY, TO PROVIDE JOB AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR 83 JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO TIES WITH FAMILY OR COMMUNITY RESOURCES. DATA FOR THE EVALUATION WERE GATHERED FROM PROJECT RECORDS AND FROM SPONSOR, WARD, AND EMPLOYER QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH ARE APPENDED. THE EVALUATORS CONCLUDE THAT THE PROJECT DID NOT MEET ITS COMMITMENT TO MAKE 400 MATCHES THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROGRAM IN THE YOUTH AUTHORITY. ALTHOUGH JOB SUPPORT SERVICES WERE PROVIDED WARDS, NO DOCUMENTATION WAS PRODUCED TO INDICATE ANY JOBS WERE FOUND FOR ANY OF THE 17 WARDS PAROLED. IN TERMS OF JOB THERAPY'S EFFECT ON LOWERING THE RECIDIVISM OF M-2 PAROLEES, THE DATA IS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF WARDS HAVE YET TO BE PAROLED, AND FOR THOSE M-2 WARDS WHO HAVE BEEN PAROLED, NOT ENOUGH PAROLE EXPOSURE TIME HAS ELAPSED FOR ANY ANALYSIS TO BE MADE. AS FAR AS INSTITUTIONAL STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND WARDS INTERVIEWED ARE CONCERNED, THE JOB THERAPY PROGRAM IS VIEWED IN A POSITIVE WAY.