Correctional education research strongly suggests that an increase in inmates’ education will reduce recidivism rates. This study utilized logistic regression techniques to investigate the effects of prison education program participation on recidivism and employment rates. Using this method made it possible to conclude that inmates who participated in prison intervention/educational programs were significantly less likely to recidivate. The purpose of this study was to identify to what extent the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ (MDOC’s) intervention/educational programs reduce recidivism. The pre-existing data used were historical information collected as part of a longitudinal study on Mississippi inmates since 2000. The data were transferred every quarter to the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (nSPARC) for management and analysis. Initial tests found that several variables had a relationship with recidivism. The findings in this study suggest that ex-offenders who completed an education/vocational program or completed a counseling program were 87% (p < 0.001), 9.9% (p < 0.005), respectively, less likely to recidivate than those ex-offenders who did not participate in any type of education or intervention program. The results also suggest that ex-offenders who enrolled in but did not complete an education/vocational program were l0% (p<0.005) less likely to recidivate than those ex-offenders who did not participate in any type of education or intervention program. Recommendations that result from these findings include an increase in the number and quality of intervention/educational programs in Mississippi prisons. Policies could be suggested and/or implemented that would reduce the number of people who violate the law upon their re-entry into society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-5433 |
| Date | 11 August 2012 |
| Creators | Stocks, Chad Lamar |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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