This paper examines schooling inside a youth prison. We draw on interview and observation data from a study of a youth prison school to understand the practices and tensions of schooling in a juvenile incarceration facility. We describe the processes of schooling in the facility with an eye towards understanding both the conditions of learning and…

Youth in correctional facilities experience a broad range of educational, psychological, medical, and social needs. Professional development, a systemic process that improves the likelihood of student success by enhancing educator abilities, is a powerful way to positively affect student outcomes in correctional settings. This article offers a…

This article briefly describes the results of a study, funded in 2001 by The National Art Education Foundation, of arts education in juvenile correctional facilities in the United States. It summarizes the results of a national survey, and it presents the Northeastern Training School* and STUDIO 200* as a model for community-based arts…

In this update, Linton provides a report on what transpired during the invitational technical assistance training meeting for State adult correctional education programs titled "Making Data Work for You," which was hosted by the Department of Education a year ago. As a key part of that training, States shared their efforts to utilize data to…

The purpose of this study was to measure whether Christian programs had a positive influence on the academic achievement of low-literate male inmates. The sample consisted of 124 male inmates in a closed security prison in the southeastern United States who were participating in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. The researcher grouped the…

The purpose of this study is to understand the importance of programs, tools and resources in correctional education programs, as perceived by students. Data for this study was gathered from a survey of all students (n=281) enrolled in educational programs at the Kentucky State Reformatory during a one month period of 2004. This includes all…

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…

In this article, the author describes the San Francisco Sheriff's Department (SFSD) Life Skills for Prisoners Program. The program was designed to enhance and expand the Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, which had operated successfully for three years in the San Francisco County Jail as a restorative justice program. The mission of SFSD is to…

The number of female prisoners continues to grow in the United States, yet most examinations of how to increase reintegration and reduce recidivation focus on the needs of the predominantly male prisoner population. As a result, prison education programs and post-release environments often leave women unprepared and facing special risks. This…

Corrective Thinking Training, a cognitive-behavioral intervention, is often used to address delinquency. It is intended to help individuals develop more responsible thinking. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Corrective Thinking Training on the self-reported level of responsible thinking of at--risk youth. The "How I…

Many research studies support using students' opinions to improve schools (Bechtel & Reed, 1998; Campbell, Edgar, & Halstead, 1994; Corbet & Wilson, 1995; & SooHoo, 1993). In these studies, Klingner & Vaughn (1999), noted researchers in the area of student inclusion, demonstrated that using student feedback to evaluate teachers and programs was…

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 collaborative model based on feminist pedagogy was used to assess gender-specific programs for juvenile female offenders. Criteria for the provision of emotional and physical safety and cultural appropriateness were used to identify areas for improvement, especially in terms of discourse, consensus, and equity in voice. (SK)

A study to determine the extent of differences between inmates who used computer-assisted instruction and those who received traditional instruction in a prison education program found no differences in posttest scores. Possible explanations included attitudes toward testing, motivation, teacher support, dynamics of prison culture, and software…

Reviews of evaluation reports on 12 adult basic education (ABE) and 5 basic living skills programs were used to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of those programs. Findings indicate that ABE programs show promise for decreasing recidivism. (JOW)