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Corrections Publications - Complete List
Correctional Officers: Strategies to Improve Retention
Many corrections professionals refer to correctional officers (COs) as “the backbone of the prison system.” If this common perception is accepted, COs must be considered the system’s “most valuable employees.” Unfortunately, the turnover of correctional officers nationwide is very high.
Privatization in Corrections
This report describes the latest research related to the benefits of contracting for prison operations. The information and data related to privatization in corrections, reasonably leads to a conclusion that contracted corrections will continue to increase because of costs, performance and accountability.
Programs That Help Offenders Stay Out of Prison
The report Programs that Help Offenders Stay Out of Prison provides elected officials and government leaders, who are struggling with how to reduce the number of offenders returning to prison, with supportive information and data. Given the increasing research on what works in correctional programming, the report explores the dimensions of recidivism and identifies key principles for effective education and substance abuse treatment programs.
Included Data Spotlight: Improving reentry Success: Programming in Prison
Women Professionals in Corrections: A Growing Asset
The number of women in the workforce is projected to grow by 10.9% compared to 9.1% for men through 2014; with women comprising 47% of the workforce. With a 13% workforce increase in the number of additional supervisory staff projected for corrections between 2006 and 2016, women represent a growing, educated human resource asset across the various careers in corrections. The Institute, in this public policy paper, looks at this growing part of the correctional workforce, examining issues affecting women and their career success.
When Women Hold The Keys: Gender, Leadership, and Correctional Policy
In this 2007 qualitative study, Dr. Kimberly Greer interviewed 25 women in leadership positions (e.g., commissioners, directors, wardens, and consultants from both corrections and probation) throughout the U.S. and surveyed 180 members of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections (AWEC) resulting in feedback from 61 respondents. The study provides significant understanding of personal and professional issues women in criminal justice leadership positions face.
Overcoming the Obstacles in Effective Correctional Instruction
Rehabilitate or Recycle? Growing Public Expectations
Contracting for Success: Improving Performance in Corrections
The debate in the U.S. should not be about who is providing the correctional service, but how well the service provider is achieving established outcomes. This paper describes the benefits of competition, five tools to enhance accountability and performance, and use of programs that reduce recidivism to meet taxpayer expectations. The use of performance contracting elevates and focuses the discussion on who can perform, meet qualitative standards and outcomes, is accountable, and are able to limit costs to the taxpayer.
Contracting Prison Operations: A Plan to Improve Performance
Learn how to implement contracting for correctional services. This research study provides elected officials and public policy makers a planning document with detailed information about the public policy issues (i.e., constitutional, legal and financial), roadblocks, practitioner considerations, and operational information for entities considering contracted correctional services.
Measuring Success: Improving the Effectiveness of Correctional Facilities
This report answers directly who is responsible for the effectiveness of prisons. It also describes how those responsible should be held accountable to a set of performance standards. The report provides a roadmap for establishing a formal structure of accountability through firmly recognized outcomes. The foundation of a successful prison is described through the four dimensions of (1) Safety and Security, (2) Quality of Life, (3) Re-entry Preparation, and (4) Management.
Success for Life SM: Evidence –based Programming to Reduce Recidivism
Over two million individuals are currently incarcerated in the United States , and over half a million are released each year. Yet more return to prison than ever before. Researchers spend considerable time developing theories to explain the existence of crime, offender behavior, and imprisonment. Correctional professionals must change the institutional environment to make it possible for offenders to construct significant life changes. To reduce recidivism and enhance the long-term safety and security of the community, they must rethink how they do business. Offenders need prison programming that facilitates cognitive and behavioral changes fundamental to their moving away from criminal involvement and toward a successful life in the community. One approach that institutes evidenced-based principles is Success for Life SM, developed by the Management & Training Corporation (MTC).
Prison Report Cards: A Working Model to Assess Prison Success
The public and policy makers are concerned with the growing costs of corrections, quality of management, and the growing need to invest time and money in those things that effect more positive outcomes for inmates that return to the community. The public is beginning to ‘expect’ more for their investment and the outcome standards for correctional institutions are increasing. An objective model of indicators that allows cross-jurisdictional comparisons will provide valuable information leading to wiser use of tax dollars. Ultimately, such a model will enable professionals and the public to compare prisons equally.
Improving Reentry Success: Programming in Prison
There is increasing concern over the alarming rate at which inmates are unable to reenter and successfully participate in the community. The reality is that 95% of all state inmates will be released at some point into the community. A recently published BJS study found 68% offenders released into the community were rearrested within three years. Effective programs demonstrate a 25 to 40% reduction in inmates returning to prison. The most meaningful, long ‐ range measure of prison effectiveness is – and ought to be – success in reducing the number of offenders that return to the system once they are released.
Contracting Prison Services: Delivering Improved Accountability, Costs, Quality, and Outcomes
Private corrections operators are subject to higher quality standards, including day to day management, safety, staff training and programmatic outcomes. Government must strengthen the vital role they play in setting tough regulations, standards and holding contractors accountable for specified outcomes. Private prisons generate savings during design, construction, and startup as well as program management for years in the future. Structured and fiscally responsible operations enable government leaders to allocate scarce financial resources to other important programs.
Correctional Officers: Strategies To Improve Retention
This report describes the challenges administrators face in maintaining correctional staff and identifies strategies to improve retention. The report explores issues such as the changing workforce demands, dynamic labor market, recruiting, orientation, the work environment, pay, benefits, communication, and training.
Programs that Help Inmates Stay Out of Prison; Growing Public Expectations
The report Programs that Help Inmates Stay Out of Prison provides elected officials and government leaders, who are struggling with how to reduce the number of offenders returning to prison, with supportive information and data. It focuses on those programs that have demonstratively reduced the rate at which ex-offenders return to prison. Given the increasing research on what works in correctional programming, the report explores the dimensions of recidivism and identifies key principles for effective education and substance abuse treatment programs.
Dads 101
The demographics of those at-risk for shaking infants point to the male prison population as an excellent target audience for the Dads 101 class. This article discusses the importance and effectiveness of teaching inmates about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). By Judge Roger Dutson, Dr. Isabel Dulfano, and Carl E. Nink
The Future and Impact of Prison Programming
This presentation examines the forces affecting correctional program investments, changing trends in correctional programming, and the delivery of programs in a correctional setting.
Correctional Public-Private Partnership Outcomes, Research Validated Benefits - Association of Private Correctional & Treatment Organizations (APCTO) -
Tight budgets provide incentives to explore and expand the competitive government practices as part of a long-term strategy to curtail spiraling prison budgets. Research compiled in this document proves that the introduction of the private sector enables government leaders to provide essential services that are flexible, responsive, accountable, at a lower cost, with quality that is as good or better than those provided by the public sector.
Three State Recidivism Study - Executive Summary - Correctional Education Association (CEA)/ Management & Training Corporation (MTC) Partnership
Education Reduces Crime summarizes the findings of the Three-State Recidivism Study, conducted by the Correctional Education Association (CEA) under a grant from the US Department of Education, Office of Correctional Education. This report clearly demonstrates the positive impact of education investments and points a way to improve employment by supporting correctional education funding.
Full Report
Entire text of the Three-State Recidivism Study, conducted by the Correctional Education Association (CEA) under a grant from the US Department of Education, Office of Correctional Education.
Recidivism
This Data Spotlight discusses the wide-ranging definitions of recidivism, how recidivism relates to the escalating prison population, and evaluates the factors that influence outcomes for released offenders.
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