Educational achievement has been shown to be negatively correlated with recidivism among those released from prison (Nuttall, Hollmen, and Staley, 2003). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a prison art rehabilitation program, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), on inmate participation in voluntary educational programs. RTA…

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…

The main activity of the European Prison Education Association (EPEA) since the last edition of the Journal was the 11th European Prison Education Association International Conference, which took place in Dublin, Ireland from June 13th to 17th. The conference, Learning for Liberation, was the largest EPEA conference to date with 180 participants…

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…

Criminologists and politicians have debated the effectiveness of correctional rehabilitation programs since the mid-1970s when criminal justice scholars and policy makers throughout the United States embraced Robert Martinson's credo of "nothing works." Programs based around punishment and surveillance grew. They are being embraced even stronger…

This research project reviews various treatment methods used for the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents between the years 1970-1986 in the United States. It points out eight elements that were frequently used: family involvement, remediation of basic skills, vocational preparation, socialization, creative therapy, crisis intervention, health…

It is increasingly obvious that prison school educators must work toward keeping the public informed with concrete evidence of the value of prison educational systems. As the public is made aware of and understands the benefits which the society can derive from correctional education programs, approval of and support for these programs should…

An action research project was undertaken by a GED instructor at a rural county jail. A survey tool was developed to determine if the perceived needs of the students were being met by the educational and rehabilitative programs currently offered to them. Data from the survey were grouped into four domains: perceived inmate need, attitude toward…

This research study is designed to determine (1) to what extent educationally low achieving inmates differ in their cognitive performance from high achieving inmates, and (2) if such differences exist, to what extent can the level of cognitive performance in the former group be modified in a positive direction by a specific learning experience.…