The North Carolina Workplace and Community Transition Youth Offender Program (YOP), recently renamed the Incarcerated Individuals Program (IPP), has proven to be effective in terms of its growth and expansion, the support of education directors across the correctional facilities, university collaboration, student evaluations, and a low recidivism…

Research in correctional education has focused on examining outcomes for participants and identifying principles and guidelines that reflect best practice. Relatively few studies have focused on postsecondary education programs and fewer still have sought to relate program implementation to student outcomes to inform program design and improve…

Research confirms that students with disabilities (e.g., emotional and behavioral disabilities, learning disabilities, and developmental delays) are overrepresented in correctional facilities across the United States. The literature suggests several reasons for the overrepresentation of students with disabilities in the correctional system: (a)…

This essay examines the effects of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in U.S. prisons by looking at research that has conflicting results and inferences. Although the opposing positions are mainly represented by two studies, this essay includes literature review of historical studies representing opposing views regarding the effects of CTE in…

Educational programs are often considered the last opportunity for an incarcerated youth to prepare for successful transition into society. While there is considerable literature identifying and describing the characteristics of youth and program services for youth in correctional facilities, it is important to gain a better understanding of…

In this article, the author provides updates on the various programs of the United States Department of Education. Among others, the Office of Correctional Education is sponsoring training sessions dealing with the utilization of post release outcome data to evaluate institutionally based educational services. Also, a few weeks after the upcoming…

Prison education in Europe is based on an adult education model. This is clearly stated in the Council of Europe Recommendations on Education in Prison (1990). It states that "the education of prisoners must, in its philosophy, methods and content, be brought as close as possible to the best adult education in the society outside (COE, 1990: 8).…

This article highlights several issues related to the collection of post-release outcome data in the evaluation of correctional education programs and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of collecting data related to recidivism, employment/earnings, and further education/training. The use of traditional follow-up in…

Compared recidivism rates of inmates who earned their General Educational Development (GED) certificate while incarcerated (n=2,330) with those who were released with no degree (n=9,419) and those who already had a high school diploma (n=4,868). Findings indicate that those who earned a GED had a significantly lower recidivism rate. (Contains 13…

A 3-year, multimethod evaluation of an innovative arts program that facilitates teaching and interaction between artists and institutionalized juvenile offenders found that youth attending workshops (n=184) displayed significantly less disruptive behavior. Results also suggested that involvement with the arts reduced recidivism for participants.…

A plumbing program teaches minimum-security inmates technical skills, decision making, motivation, and teamwork. In New York, 80 inmates have completed the program and 2 have become apprentices upon release. The course, combined with substance abuse treatment and high school equivalency, seeks to counteract recidivism with practical life skills.…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine recidivism rates of inmates who participated in educational programs during the time they were incarcerated at Huttonsville Correctional Center in West Virginia. The Education Department at Huttonsville Correctional Center provided files pertaining to inmates who were enrolled in educational…

Reviews three studies: (1) lower recidivism rate attributed to literacy education in Arizona prisons; (2) Maryland evaluation showing positive benefits from a variety of correctional education programs; and (3) a 15% recidivism rate for Texas parolees with college degrees versus 60% overall. Recommends reinstatement of federal financial aid for…

The Arkansas Department of Correction School District initially required educational attendance for inmates with less than a high-school diploma or a fourth-grade Wide Range Achievement Test score. Eventually, attendance was made compulsory for all inmates without high school diplomas. District funding was almost entirely from state education…

Review of research on postsecondary correctional education in three periods (1945-1967, 1970s-1980s, 1990s) indicates the following: (1) most was limited to establishing statistical associations between education and recidivism without examination of causation; (2) many studies failed to distinguish participant categories; and (3) many failed to…