RPC Newsletter - 1/19/2007

States Look to Adult Basic Education Programs in Prison to Increase Education Levels and Reduce Recidivism

 Most people in prison or jail have low levels of educational achievement. According to a 2003 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics , about 75% of state prison inmates and 69% of jail inmates did not complete high school, while only 18% of the general population age 18 or older did not complete high school. Yet, barely half of all state prisoners participate in any educational programs during their incarceration, a proportion that has been decreasing over time.

In response to this trend, several states have implemented incentive systems to promote participation in basic adult education programs during incarceration:

  • According to a December 2006 survey conducted by the Association of State Correctional Administrators , Michigan and Missouri require that nearly all prisoners achieve some level of education certification before they can be considered for discretionary release. Michigan state law requires prisoners to obtain their GED, and Missouri requires them to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent to be considered for parole.

  • On January 10, 2007,Virginia Senate Joint Resolution No. 327 was introduced to the state legislature. This bill seeks to establish a joint subcommittee to study options for increasing the number of education programs available to incarcerated individuals. The subcommittee would be charged with identifying program needs, recommending solutions for increasing enrollment, and reviewing prisoner education programs in other states, among other things.

  • Last year, both Tennessee and Illinois passed legislation awarding 60-day sentencing credits to individuals who earned certain degrees during incarceration. Tennessee Senate Bill 2557 offers incarcerated individuals a 60-day sentence credit for earning a graduate equivalency diploma or a high school diploma, a two- or four-year college degree, a two- year or four-year certification in applied sciences, or a vocational education diploma. Illinois Senate Bill 2320 offers the sentencing credit if they pass the GED while incarcerated.

Recent studies have shown that in-prison educational programs can reduce recidivism. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy conducted a comprehensive statistical review of all criminal justice program evaluations conducted for the last 40 years in the United States and other countries to identify which programs were found to reduce crime. The 2006 study, Evidence-Based Adult Corrections Programs: What Works and What Does Not , found that basic adult education programs in prison reduced recidivism by 5.1%.

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Announcements

 The JEHT Foundation of New York awards the Kansas Department of Corrections' Reentry Program $4.67 million

On January 4, 2007, Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Kansas Department of Corrections received a grant from the JEHT Foundation for its offender reentry and risk reduction efforts. The program aims implement the state's plan to increase public safety and reduce recidivism by helping individuals maintain housing, secure employment, and live harmoniously with their families upon release from incarceration.

The JEHT Foundation is one of several national partners supporting reentry and risk reduction efforts in Kansas. Others include the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Institute of Corrections, and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), with his proposed Second Chance Act.

Click here to view the full announcement (pdf).


Funding Opportunity: National Institute of Justice - Evaluating the Effectiveness of Electronic Monitoring of Moderate to High-Risk Offenders Under Supervision

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice is seeking applications for funding research on the effectiveness of electronic monitoring (EM) of moderate to high-risk offenders under criminal justice system supervision in the community. Applicants for funding under this solicitation must propose one or more experimental studies to evaluate the effectiveness of EM on reducing the recidivism of moderate to high-risk offenders on probation and/or supervised release as well as after the supervision period has ended.

Studies may examine EM independently or in combination with other supervision and/or treatment programs. While re-offending as measured by new arrests, convictions, or commitments is the most important outcome measure, other important outcome measures include revocations, administrative warnings and sanctions, and absconding or escape from supervision.

Deadline for applications: February 6, 2007
For more information about this grant announcement and application requirements, click here (pdf).


Upcoming Events:

American Correctional Association's 2007 Winter Conference: Corrections, Community and Public Health
January 20-24, 2007 (Tampa, FL)
http://www.aca.org/conferences/winter07/planning/

American Jail Association: Intake: Critical Time-Critical Decisions
February 2-5, 2007 (Hilton Head, SC)
http://www.corrections.com/aja/pdf/In take%20Ad.pdf

NAEH – National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness
February 8-9, 2007 (Oakland, CA) http://www.endhomelessness.org/section/tools/conference/conferences

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Recent Media Coverage of Reentry Issues

  • 1/11/07 – "Prisoners face high death rate after release" (Los Angeles Times)

    During their first two weeks out of prison, individuals released from prison or jail face nearly 13 times greater risk of death than the general population, according to a study of more than 30,000 former inmates.

  • 1/11/07 – "State study cites benefits of supervision for ex-convicts" (New Jersey Star Ledger)

    Incarcerated individuals who got out early on parole supervision are 30 percent less likely to get arrested for another crime within two years of their release than those who served their entire sentence, according to a State Parole Board study released yesterday. The report comes as state Parole Board Chairman John D'Amico Jr. is lobbying Gov. Jon Corzine's office and the state commission examining New Jersey's sentencing laws to require all prisoners to be placed under supervision following their release from prison.

  • 12/30/06 – "Saved by the Bell" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

    Stephen Richards, a tenured professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, leads a national movement of some three dozen ex-convicts with advanced degrees. Through their writing and research, they advocate for change in the criminal justice system. Richards also works in Wisconsin prisons, hoping to convince a new generation of felons that education can save them, the way it saved him.

  • 12/27/06 – "Illiteracy reinforces captivity" (San Francisco Chronicle)

    People convicted of crimes typically enter the corrections system burdened with loads of heavy emotional baggage -- drug addiction, alcoholism, scars from childhood abuse, mental illness and family meltdowns. But the most common companions for those who have failed to find a place in the legitimate world are illiteracy and stunted educational backgrounds.

Click here to see more collected reentry news from the Reentry Policy Council.

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Recent Published Resources on Reentry Issues

To suggest additional resources for inclusion in the RPC newsletter, please email editors@reentrypolicy.org.

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In this Issue

 Our Publications

Homelessness and Prisoner Reentry

Many people released from prison or jail are at risk for homelessness, which can increase the likelihood that they will commit new crimes and return to prison.