As we society grows, so do the social needs of society. In the history of America, the main goal for the criminal justice system is to keep our communities safe. Providing the best educational programs for offenders inside a prison institution could reduce recidivism. Gordon and Weldon (2003) exemplifies that the ultimate goal of correctional education is to reduce recidivism. This occurs when the inmate becomes self-sufficient they could re-integrated in the community and become productive in the workforce, citizens, and family member. Through the educational program inmates are getting the education skills.
This research paper explores the seriousness of educational program in the United States prisons. People need to understand the importance factor it has when and inmate is learning the basic tools to function in the real world. Having the educational program also reduces problem behaviors within institutions by providing constructive activities and a tool for the reinforcement of positive behavior. Recidivism Duwe and Clark (2014) conducted a study were they examined recidivism was defined as one re arrest, reconviction, reincarceration for a new sentence, and last is the supervision revocation for a technical violation.
The Department of Corrections (DOC) “has conducted several studies that show that an average of 50% of inmates who have entered the system didn’t have a G. E. D. ” (Wilson 2015) examines that inmates are less well educated and have fewer job skills. Prison now uses this type of methods to rehabilitate an inmate. As Duwe and Clark (2014) mentioned the effects of the college level prisons and educational programming significantly reduced the likelihood of recidivism. And not only college level programming have the strongest effect on recidivism, but the other program that also had effects was High School and GED programming nd vocational training. Having an educational program classes does help inmates further their education. Most of the offenders that are incarcerated have been raised to broken families. With this program it gives opportunities for the incarcerated offenders to have a positive lifestyle. The educational service promotes the educational growth of the inmate population. This population of inmates could prove to the rest of the world how significantly they have transformed their lives.
The main purpose that many institutes have created this type of educational programs around the United States was to provide inmates with the cognitive tool to function as productive citizens. With this approach Duwe and Clark (2014) have concluded that this translate to recidivism reduction. This reduces ex-offenders to not reoffender of any crime. How will this reduce future crimes for ex-convicts? Having and education program in prison facilities, inmates will learn how to read, write and do basic math problems. A study conducted by Cho and Tyler (2010) examined recidivism and post released employments.
They found that among than 13,137 released offenders who did participate in the program Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Florida prisons. It showed that ABE participation had a significant improve in post-released employment outcome Duwe and Clark (2014). we could assume that the program does work to reduce crime in our society and to better our economics with more job opportunities. Education Programs Davis and Bozick (2015) brings out into account the importance of meta-analytic which is a research studies that are collected and coded, and then interpreted.
With this information the correctional education examines on average, inmates who have participated in a correctional education, had a 43 percent lower than does inmates who did not. There are four types of academic program mentioned by Davis and Bozick (2015) 1. Adult basic education (ABE): basic skills instruction in arithmetic, reading, writing, and, if needed, English as a second language (ESL). 2. Adult secondary education (ASE): instruction to complete high school or prepare for a certificate of high school equivalency, such as the General Education Development (GED)
3. Vocational education or career and technical education (CTE): training in general employment skills and in skills for specific jobs or industries. 4. Postsecondary education (PSE): college-level instruction that enables an individual to earn college credit that may be applied toward a two-year or four-year postsecondary degree With the programs provided in prison, ex-offender have the opportunity to be educated. When an inmate enters prison there educational skills aren’t so good. Most of them don’t have a High school diploma.
The program Adult basic education (ABE) consists of inmates / students. The program helps inmates with reading skills below the high school level. The classes are divided into sections level one, two and three. It provides with opportunities to learned new skills such as Language Arts and mathematics. After being put to one of the levels I mention before the inmates/ students takes a test called Test Adult Basic Education (TABE) assessment that is used to determined were will be the placement of each inmate of the appropriate ABE level Davis and Bozick (2015).
In my personal experienced I had an uncle who went through this program in one of the California State prison. When he was young he committed a big mistake which he was sentenced for ten years in prison for possession of en years in prison for possession of illegal drugs. At the age of nineteen he didn’t have any education. Well once he knew that they were offending the educational program Adult Basic Education (ABE) at the prison that he was at he joined the program and stated to take classes there at the prison facility.
With that program my uncle was able to get his GED and he also took a post-secondary level which means he was taking some upper level college classes. Now that he has been released from prison two years ago I have talked to him about the educational programs they have in California. He told me that this program helped him a lot. Right now he was a good job and he hasn’t committed any illegal activity. We could see that these programs do work. Employment The benefit of education goes beyond the public safety. Having a higher education increases the chance of been employed.
With inmates increasing their education there family members are more hopeful that they have changed their live for good. Most of the ex-offender live in a poor neighborhood, when people see the change of an ex offender this could positively impact the communities return. Employments for ex-offenders could be hard at times. When an inmate is going thru the educational program you are guided with the knowledge that you could use to find an employment. The main purpose of having this type of programs it improves the likelihood of someone not committing illegal activities.
Dennis and Sharp (2002) mentions that most of the times offenders are being told that the program will benefit them. The inmate will automatically raise their expectations of an employment after release. When an inmate is released the fact that being disillusioned when their looking for a job could make them feel trap in the system. This could increase the likelihood of returning to crime. Instead of using their knowledge and skills that they were taught in the educational system, they may simply go back to their illegal criminal activities.
The reason that it happen is because mechanism of stress of trying to support themselves and a family could make them go back in selling drugs. This is why the educational programs help you in. The educational program in prison help inmates to obtained a job prior their post release. Dennis and Sharp (2002). Overall providing opportunities to prisoners to develop their mic and social competencies are an important task that prison institutions have institute.
“The purpose of educational program in prisons is to have productive members of the prison ommunity while incarcerated and contributing members of their communities upon release from prison. ” Having this type of programs helps the inmate to have and education credentials that will helped the offender to find a job. This helped had helped our communities to be much safer. It promotes a good improve life style for an offender. I think that with this educational program it motivates inmates to changes their lives around. We as society need to help offenders into adapting to the community. With this educational program we are educating people that one day will be released from there prison sentence.
