RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Post-Secondary Education of Inmates Impact on Recidivism

Matt Baker
Amberton University
November 1, 2016

RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Personal Journey
I began the definition of my study by considering the impact of education on the community. After
determining that this is a broad and difficult to quantify question, I decided to narrow my topic.
Considering the different impacts education can have on a community, I considered the question of the
effect better education has on crime in a community. While the testing averages of a school, or group of
schools, is public knowledge, as well as crime rates for their communities, a strong link between the two
would be difficult to identify because of the numerous intervening variables that could explain any
trends and weaken the link between education and crime.
This led me to consider more precise relationships between education and crime. There are
numerous studies about community programs intended to prevent or reduce crime, but even the largest
studies cannot fully encompass all the variables that could affect the crime rate. In order to quantify a
specific link between education and crime, I have decided to research the effect of increased prison
education and the resultant decrease in crime.
When I worked in a previous company, I had a project which required many temporary workers.
Some of these temporary workers were former inmates. One of these workers, John, showed a very
good work ethic, ability, and willingness to learn. When the project was completed, I released all of the
other workers and hired John full time. I got to know John personally, and he was not shy about his
years as a convict. John was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a non-violent crime. He served his time
and got out 5 years early on good behavior. During his incarceration John received no education and
very little intellectual engagement. John was highly intelligent, responsible, hardworking, drug free, and
creating a positive and productive life with his new wife. After a year and a half John required surgery on
his back from an old injury. Due to the injury, John could no longer work because he could not
physically perform the duties demanded by the position. John went on disability leave, had the surgery
performed, and was out of work for the foreseeable future to recover. John worked part time for
several companies installing solar panels and less physically demanding construction jobs, but his weak
back prevented anyone from keeping him employed full time. Having no formal education, except for
an unfinished high school degree, John was not eligible for any but the lowest paying hard labor jobs.
Unemployment did not supply enough income for John to pay all his bills, and he was under a ton of
pressure. John started drinking. Johns resolution slowly dissolved, and John got back into drugs. I lost
touch with John for a few months and finally received a call from Johns wife who informed me John was
in jail. A good hearted, hardworking, intelligent man, John made two non-violent poor choices and will
have served twenty three years, nearly half of his life, in prison when he is released at the age of fifty
two. While speculation can be made about educations role in preventing Johns original crime, I
strongly feel that if John were provided meaningful education during his initial incarceration, the
likelihood of recidivism would have been eliminated. If John had a non-physical skill or trade to rely on,
he would have continued his path to being a law abiding and productive citizen.

RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Introduction
This research study is designed to test the hypothesis of post-secondary educations effect on
recidivism. Post-secondary education programs include vocational training, GEDs, and collegiate level
studies. This study will examine existing studies of educational programs and their impact on recidivism
and investigate post-secondary education levels and demographic attributes of participants impacts on
recidivism.

Statement of purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify a link between education of the incarcerated, and its effect
on the former convicts recidivism. I will accomplish this by investigating existing incarceration education
programs and their impact on released prisoners. I will also compare the crime rates per capita for
communities surrounding correctional facilities that invest heavily on education with communities
surrounding correctional facilities that employ little to no education. In this comparison, I will also
include changing education investment for inmates, comparing crime rate changes for communities that
increase their correctional facility education investments versus communities that are decreasing their
investment. Finally, I will examine existing studies surrounding education of inmates and recidivism, test
their hypotheses and results, and compare to my own findings.
Significance of the study
This study will determine if there truly is a link between education of incarcerated adults and
their propensity of recidivism. If the link is identified, this information could be used to convince
governing bodies and private correctional institutes to increase their education investments to combat
the exceptionally large population of incarcerated people in the United States.
Operational definitions
Recidivism Re-incarceration within three years of prior release from incarceration.
Post-secondary education - includes vocational training, GEDs, and collegiate level studies.
Educational participation Attending an educational program either in person, on television
(Institutional Television Services), or by mail.
Incarceration Being confined in a federal, state, or local correctional facility.
GED - General Equivalency Diploma
Inmate: a person who is sentenced to a period of confinement in a correctional institution
Research questions

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Assignment 2

Q1: Do existing studies of education programs impact on recidivism show a statistical difference of
recidivism of inmates who attend programs than those who do not?
Q2: Have studies based on the amount of education show a greater reduction in recidivism for
participants with greater education than those with less education?
Q3: Are there factors that influence the recidivism of convicts that may interfere with the link to
education?
Q4: Does the mere existence of the program reduce recidivism, or does percentage of released inmates
who attended reduce recidivism?
Q5: Does additional education help reduce recidivism in specific categories? (Type of crime, sex, age,
race)
Research hypotheses
H01: Inmates that participate in educational or vocational programs while incarcerated do not have a
statistically lower rate of recidivism than inmates who do not participate in programs.
H02: Educational programs that provide a higher level of education do not have a greater reduction of
recidivism than education programs with lower level of education.
H03: Factors such as race, age, sex, and type of crime do not have an impact on rates of recidivism.
H04: Correctional facilities with education programs do not have lower recidivism rates than facilities
without programs.
H05: Educational programs at correctional facilities do not reduce recidivism of convicts of different
types of crimes, sex, ages, or races.

RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Review of literature
The United States currently has 2.4 million inmates, a higher rate than any other country in the
world (Petersilia, 2011). The number of prisons constructed over the last several decades has
skyrocketed, and the cost to the taxpayers continues to increase. As of 2001, the Department of Justice
reported that taxpayers pay $30 billion annually to maintain the state prison system (Erisman &
Contardo, 2005). This burden on the taxpayers, and the ever increasing quantity of incarcerated adults
who have little chance to reintegrate with society, is a difficult situation that must be addressed.
Reagen & Stoughton (1976, p123.) believed that by removing a person from society to
incarcerate them effectively disrupts their life cycle. Being removed from society prevents those people
from continuing to develop the skills and attitudes that compound upon each other in order to be a
productive member of society. They believed that without a form of continuation of the social
interactions and development, society could never expect the incarcerated to ever recover and rejoin
society.
Studies have shown that convicts who are reinstated to society make up an estimated 15 to 20%
of arrests of adults (Petersilia, 2011). The 1994 Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that 46.9% of
released convicts were reincarcerated within three years of their initial release (Gospill, 2012). This
means that to reduce the amount of incarcerated people in the United States, the correctional facilities
need to find a better way to correct these criminal behaviors and prevent future recidivism. In
general, people are more likely to invest their time in what they deem as more valuable, but for
criminals with little career prospects, spending time performing criminal acts can provide more value
than trying to work a low paying job. If a person has a skill or the education to obtain a higher paying,
better respected position, they may be more likely to spend their time working than committing crimes.
Post-secondary education can increase the return of legitimate work through developing the persons
skills, knowledge, and ability. This increased value from meaningful employment then raises the implied
cost of repercussions if they were to be caught performing illegal acts (Lochner and Moretti, 2004).
Economic studies of incarcerated adults found that it is cheaper to provide inmates postsecondary education than it is to have them reincarcerated. Quality education is the least expensive
model of recidivism reduction. (Stevens & Ward, 1997) Lochner and Moretti estimated that a 1%
increase in high school graduation for men could produce up to $1.4 billion savings (Lochner and
Moretti, 2004). The U.S. Department of Education commissioned the Three State Recidivism Study in
1997 which found that inmates who completed academic programs provided a $3.53 return on every
$1.00 spent on their education (Karpowitz & Kenner, 2008).

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Assignment 2

Existing Studies
There have been multiple studies completed to determine the effect of post-secondary
education on recidivism of convicts. For one, current research shows that convicts who earn a high
school diploma or GED while incarcerated have a higher probability of obtaining a job after their release
(Petersilia, 2011). While this may seem obvious, the implications are much larger. If a reformed convict
obtains a GED while incarcerated, this opens up career opportunities that may not have been available
to them prior to their incarceration. As stated before, with a better career comes higher cost of being
punished for committing a crime.
In the 1970s, the claim that almost nothing works (Martinson, 1974) seems to have been
misguided. Further research into the subject has shown that there are promising results for education
of inmates. Gendreau & Ross (1979) studied 95 previous studies that were completed between 1973
and 1978 and showed that 86% of programs were able to reduce recidivism between 30 and 60% (Hull,
2000).
Bard College provides a program in which inmates can obtain college degrees, which started in
2005. The first group of Bard College degree holding inmates produced less than 4% recidivism after
release. Since its inception in 2001, Hudson link had produced a 0% recidivism rate of graduates (Doccs,
2013).
Ryang Hui Kim and David Clark performed a study on prison based college education programs
and its effect on recidivism in 2013. Their study showed that inmates without college programs had a
recidivism rate of 36%, compared to the college program attendees who had only 9.5% recidivism rate
(Educating those who are incarcerated to reduce recidivism December 19, 2013). Inmates in a South
Carolina prison system study produced a 4% recidivism rate for those in college programs, while inmates
not enrolled experienced a 33% recidivism rate (Vorel, 1995, Stevens & Ward, 1997). A study of 60
North Carolina post-secondary educated inmates showed a recidivism rate of only 5% in the three years
following release, as compared to 40% of the comparison group. (NC DOC, 1995, Stevens & Ward,
1997). Alabamas post-secondary degrees have a recidivism rate of 1% compared to the average 35%,
Maryland showed a study of 0% for 120 inmates who received degrees versus the 46% average, 26%
versus 45% in New York, and 12% versus 36% in Texas (Stevens & Ward, 1997).
A Virginia Department of Corrections study looked at 1,307 inmates who did not attend
educational programs while incarcerated and found that 49% were reincarcerated shortly after release.
The same study followed 786 inmates who attended post-secondary education without a final
certification, and found that 38% were reincarcerated. Only 20% of the 183 inmates who completed the

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Matt Baker

Assignment 2

education program were reincarcerated (Hull, 2000). A 22% reduction in recidivism for inmates who
only participated in the educational program, and 59% reduction of recidivism for inmates who
completed the program show evidence that educational programs in the correctional systems can
greatly reduce the recidivism of released convicts.
A study conducted for the Federal Bureau of Prisons found that the positive impact of postsecondary education on recidivism is independent of many factors, including post-release employment.
This fact is contributed to the normalizing effects of education on inmates. The post-secondary
education provides a social input that the people required to be able to re-enter society as a law abiding
citizen (Karpowitz, Kenner, 2008).
Beyond recidivism once released, studies show that education for the incarcerated have other
impacts as well. At an Indiana correctional facility, a survey found that college class participants had
75% less incarceration infractions than a non-enrolled inmate (Taylor, 1994; Erisman & Contardo, 2005).

Although all of these statistics are promising, they are in no way conclusive. The different
studies are all based on similar but not exactly identical populations, variables, and interpretation of
results. Based on the statistical approach and filtering of data, different researchers could come to
different conclusions, although it would be unlikely to negate the original findings that post-secondary
education reduces recidivism.
Many critics argue that many of the studies are biased based on the type of inmate who attends
post-secondary education programs in correctional facilities. They suggest that inmates who participate
in these courses are most likely more motivated than those who do not participate, and therefore could
have a predisposition to avoid recidivism and subsequent re-incarceration. Other factors such as drug
dependency or mental health issues may also skew results negatively for post-secondary education
impact on recidivism, and this will have to be addressed as well. Bushway, Stoll, and Weiman (2007)
postulate that inmates who have drug addictions or mental health issues may experience smaller
reduction in recidivism, and this should provide hope that even the smallest impact is a step in the right
direction. They suggest that this small impact may be the first step into other programs that could help
rehabilitate them for future release back into society (Gaes, 2008).
Some critics of post-secondary education for inmates believe that criminal tendencies
developed prior to incarceration cannot be undone in correctional facilities. These critics believe that
convicts forfeit their freedom to such privileges when they commit the crimes they are convicted of
(Reagen & Stoughton, 1976, Stevens & Ward, 1997).

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Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Levels of Education
Does the level of post-secondary education impact the rate of recidivism of released convicts?
Several studies show that higher levels of education actually produce lower levels of recidivism. These
studies provide results that show a step function reduction in recidivism based on each level: vocational
training, GED achievement, Bachelors Degree, and Masters Degree.
A study of Ohio correctional facilities found that inmates who received a GED while incarcerated
had the greatest reduction of recidivism, followed by college and vocational training. The general
population of the comparison group had a recidivism rate of 32.3%, while GED participants experienced
a 24.1% recidivism rate, a 25% improvement over general population not in the GED or higher program.
This study found that college degrees caused the largest reduction of recidivism for young females who
had not been previously incarcerated (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995). The college program reduced return
to incarceration by 3.4% for inmates who attended the program and another 3.0% for inmates who
completed the program, achieving a college degree. Vocational program participation proved to reduce
recidivism by 1.7% while a vocational achievement in the study yielded another 2.6% reduction in
recidivism. The study also identified a variable where the closer the achievement of completing a
program, the lower the recidivism for released inmates (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995).
Another study in Ohio studied almost 1,000 released inmates and the effect of different postsecondary education programs on their recidivism rate. Convicts who completed GED related programs
or vocational training reduced recidivism slightly, but those who completed an associates degree
actually had the greatest impact, reducing the recidivism by 62% (Batiuk et al 2005; Erisman & Contardo,
2005).
These studies present evidence that while any post-secondary education program can help
reduce recidivism in released convicts, the higher the education level, the lower the recidivism rate.
This leads one to believe that to properly correct a convicts criminal choices, correctional facilities
need to increase investments in higher levels of education for most of the incarcerated.
Inmate Demographics
Does additional education help reduce recidivism in specific demographics or types of crimes
committed? Some studies show that different post-secondary programs have different impacts on men
or women, old or young, serious offenders versus soft crimes, and drug addicts.
The type of crime seemingly has the largest impact on the effectiveness of post-secondary
education on recidivism of released convicts. Interestingly enough, ABE (Adult Basic Education)

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participants who were convicted of first or fourth degree crimes had the lowest recidivism rates as
compared to other crimes of the general incarcerated population. Convicts with fourth degree offenses
who were serving intermediate sentences had a 12 percentage points reduction in recidivism, while first
degree convicts had a 7.9 percentage points overall reduction in recidivism. Felons of other levels of
conviction who attended educational programs showed very little impact to their recidivism rate. This
leads the study to propose that for some reason educational programs for the incarcerated have the
highest impact on the most serious offense criminals, and the least. Similar to the ABE participants,
Vocational programming also reduced recidivism in inmates with first and fourth degree crimes.
Vocational programs reduced recidivism for first and fourth degree convicts by 7.5 percentage points
and 7.2 percentage points, respectively. Completing the GED program reduced the recidivism in short
term convicts, while participating in the GED program reduced the recidivism of longer term convicts.
Non-violent convicts that completed a college level educational program experienced an 8.6% reduction
in recidivism. Violent offenders only had an impact on recidivism rates while attending a GED program,
with a reduction of 14.8 percentage points. Overall, post-secondary education programs reduced
recidivism rates of non-violent convicts more than violent convicts (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995).
Drug offenders who had vocational training experienced a 9.3 percentage point reduction in
recidivism than drug offenders who had no training during incarceration, and the GED program reduced
recidivism in drug offenders another 5 percentage points. This leads to believe that drug offenders may
have committed crimes either due to ignorance of the law, or with little other employment
opportunities on which to support themselves or their families. After participating in the GED program,
drug offenders have the opportunity to get legal, consistent jobs, which increase the personal cost of
getting caught performing illegal acts. Furthermore, drug offenders that attended college education
courses achieved 8.5 percentage points reduction of recidivism (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995).
Interestingly enough, the Ohio study showed that the post-secondary education of the majority
of sex offenders had little to no impact on recidivism rates. The possible correlation between mental
illness and sex offenses could explain this result, but is beyond the scope of this study.

In the Ohio study, females responded better than men to the post-secondary education. Female
participants had a 10 percentage point reduction in recidivism, while men only had a 1.7 percentage
point reduction. Women attending college courses experienced a recidivism rate reduction of 12.1
percentage points, while those attending vocational training had a 8.2 percentage point reduction. The
comparison between recidivism in men and women should be viewed warily because of the significantly

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lower amount of women in the study, partially driven by the lower percentage of incarcerated women
as compared to men. Men responded best to GED educational programs, although completion of the
program had a larger impact on convicts with less serious charges, and participation without
achievement had a greater impact on convicts with more serious charges and longer sentences
(Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995). In a study of the Bedford Hills, NY Womens Correctional facility (Fine et.
al., 2011), the researchers found that convicts who did not attend post-secondary education programs
had a recidivism rate four times higher than those who participated in the programs (Educating those
who are incarcerated to reduce recidivism December 19, 2013). In comparison with studies of
incarcerated men, such as the Virginia Correctional facility study, men who receive post-secondary
education reduced their recidivism by only half, while women reduced as much as one-fourth. This
correlation would need to be further investigated with matching variables to confirm.

The age of the offender appears to have an impact on the type of educational program that
works to reduce recidivism. Older offenders seem to react better to Adult Basic Education programs,
the Ohio study showed an increase from 5.2 percentage points to 6.9 percentage points as the age
range increased from 31-40 to 41-50. Inmates that were 50 or older also had lowered recidivism rates,
but the study did not have a substantial enough sampling of this age range to compare. Younger
convicts in the Ohio study responded better to vocational education programs. Convicts 26-30 years old
experienced a 6.4 percentage point reduction, while 21-25 year olds saw a 9.9 percentage point
reduction. Younger convicts also responded better to college program completion, gaining 5 to 6.5
percentage points reduction in recidivism for convicts aged 15-25, while convicts over the age of 30 did
not appear to be impacted by the college education (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995).
Of the entire study in Ohio, the largest reduction of recidivism was found in young black females
who were previously incarcerated and had been convicted of a drug related crime. Interestingly
enough, education of Black convicts began to close the large gap of recidivism between black convicts
and white convicts. Black convicts who attended a GED program saw a 14 percentage point reduction in
recidivism for attending, and 6.7 percentage points reduction for completing the GED. White convicts
only saw a 3.4 percentage point reduction for attending the GED program, and 1 percentage point
reduction for completing (Stickrath & Wilkinson,1995).
The comparison of education level and demographics delivers one very interesting statistic:
incarcerated people who are attending a post-secondary education program when released have a
lower recidivism rate than those who do not attend these programs, and surprisingly enough, those who

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Assignment 2

have completed them. While it may not be reasonable to provide programs that never end, this
information leads one to believe that post-secondary education of incarcerated individuals reduces their
propensity to commit crimes once released, and their continuing education while incarcerated reduces
this even further.

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Matt Baker

Assignment 2

Research
Does inmate education work? Over the past few decades hundreds of studies have been
performed to answer this question. In this study, I will research the effect of educational programs on
the recidivism of inmates and try to test the following hypotheses:
o

o
o
o
o

H01: Inmates that participate in educational or vocational programs while incarcerated

do not have a statistically lower rate of recidivism than inmates who do not participate
in programs.
H02: Educational programs that provide a higher level of education do not have a
greater reduction of recidivism than education programs with lower level of education.
H03: Factors such as race, age, sex, and type of crime do not have an impact on rates of
recidivism.
H04: Correctional facilities with education programs do not have lower recidivism rates
than facilities without programs.
H05: Educational programs at correctional facilities do not reduce recidivism of convicts
of different types of crimes, sex, ages, or races.

In order to disprove or disprove these hypotheses, I will be attempting to answer the following research
questions:
o
o
o
o
o

Q1: Do existing studies of education programs impact on recidivism show a statistical

difference of recidivism of inmates who attend programs than those who do not?
Q2: Have studies based on the amount of education show a greater reduction in
recidivism for participants with greater education than those with less education?
Q3: Are there factors that influence the recidivism of convicts that may interfere with
the link to education?
Q4: Does the mere existence of the program reduce recidivism, or does percentage of
released inmates who attended reduce recidivism?
Q5: Does additional education help reduce recidivism in specific categories? (Type of
crime, sex, age, race)

To test the hypotheses and answer my research questions, I will conduct a study of inmates at
state correctional institutions in New York, Florida, Texas, California, and Ohio. I will identify 1,000
inmates from each institution that are near release, and designate each an ID number to protect their
identity and provide confidentiality with the correctional institution and probation officers. 500 inmates
shall be chosen from inmates that are in educational programs, and 500 inmates will be chosen of those
who are or have been in educational programs within the last three years. Each of the 500 inmates sets
should include: 25% black, 25% white, 25% Hispanic, and 25% other ethnicity. Each of these sub-sets
will be as close to half women and half men as possible, provided the population of convicted women is
sufficient to compliment the mens population. Each sub-set will be chosen at random from the given

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population of convicts that fit the criteria of near release, sex, race, and participation in educational
programs.
This study will follow the convicts after their release for three years. Occurrences of recidivism
will be obtained by contacting the probation officer of each released convict every 12 months after their
release. Convicts who are released without probation will be excluded from the study due to the
difficulty of contacting the convicts if they are reincarcerated and unreliable information they may
provide. Once collected, the data will be compiled and categorized by sex, race, and participation in
education programs. The data will then be reviewed to eliminate anomalies and identify trends that
either support or reject the null hypotheses.
With such a large population to gather data from the need to collect the data in a timeframe
that does not skew the results in a way that some convicts status is recorded at 11 months while others
are recorded at 13 months. To ensure consistency between results, convicts status should be recorded
within 2 weeks of their release date. Assuming the inmates chosen are released reasonably equally over
3 months, 12 months from their release approximately 333 inmates per month, or 83 per week, need to
be accounted for. In order to obtain results quickly and in the appropriate time frame, a phone survey
will be conducted with each probation officer. Obtaining 83 results per week would prove difficult for
one person, so an assistant would need to be hired. Assuming a graduate student or intern could be
used 3 months of the year, and assuming a pro-rated salary based on $40,000 per year, the cost would
be $10,000 per year, or $30,000 over three years. A budget of $5,000 will be required for phone
expenses, materials, and miscellaneous expenses. The phone survey is provided in appendix A.

Results
Based on the research done and typical findings, I believe that the hypotheses have not been
disproven, and hold some level of validity. The data supports the theory that inmates that participate in
educational or vocational programs while incarcerated do not have a statistically lower rate of
recidivism than inmates who do not participate. Educational programs have shown to reduce recidivism
by 7 to 20 percentage points when compared to released convicts that who did not participate in such
programs.
Higher education appears to reduce recidivism rates even further. In some studies, a vocational
program reduced recidivism more than 1.7 percentage points over released convicts who did not attend
a program. A college degree reduced the recidivism rate of released convicts by more than 3
percentage points over GED participants in one study. While this begs the question if convicts who have
more motivation to leave a life of crime are more likely to pursue further education, and therefore
reduce their recidivism, this does not unequivocally mean that those with higher education will not
recidivate, nor does it mean that those with high motivation without the availability of education
programs are doomed to be re-incarcerated after release. The data seems to support the theory that if
higher education is available, the recidivism rate should see a significant reduction.

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Assignment 2

Surprisingly, the type of crime had the largest impact on the effectiveness of post-secondary
education on recidivism of released convicts in one study. ABE (Adult Basic Education) participants who
were convicted of first or fourth degree crimes had the lowest recidivism rates as compared to other
crimes of the general incarcerated population. I would think it is reasonable to conclude that first
degree offenders that chose to attend post-secondary education realize the seriousness of their crimes
and understand the consequences of repeat offenses, and therefore see education as an escape from
recidivism in the future. Similarly, fourth degree offenders may see the drastic punishment of their
minor crime and wish to prevent such future punishments. For second and third degree offenders, one
could consider if they neither see their crime nor the punishment to be extreme enough to force them
to re-evaluate their choices outside of incarceration. The possible correlation between mental illness
and sex offenses could explain the lack of impact on post-secondary education on their recidivism.
While females responded better than men to the post-secondary education, the reason for this
result is not immediately clear. I would propose the hypothesis that women with young children may
have additional motivation to attend educational programs while incarcerated in order to gain better
employment to support their family once released. The study will have to include data points of
participants who had children that are dependents under the age of 18 to further investigate this
possibility.
Age was also found to be a possible factor of the education effect on recidivism. Older
offenders who attended educational programs appeared to reduce recidivism more than younger
participants. Younger participants in vocational programs reduced recidivism more than older
vocational program participants. These findings could point to a theory that older inmates value
education and appreciate the payback of higher thinking, as opposed to young and inexperienced
inmates who are seeking a vocation just to receive money, and are not looking at the long term benefits
of a higher level education.
My original theory was that education reduces recidivism in all inmates. Throughout this
research study, I have found that this is only partially true, but the effects can still be profound. By
tailoring programs to the inmates that will be participating, it appears recidivism rates can be reduced
significantly just by offering educational or vocational programs for inmates. In many studies, the
calculated cost of offering education to inmates is far lower than the cost to taxpayers when they are
reincarcerated, some studies showed as much as a $2 return for every $1 spent on education in
correctional facilities. Future research should focus on defining the program type and level that have
the biggest impact on each age ranges, sex, cultural identifications, and type of crime in order to better
serve the inmates and therefore reduce recidivism.

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Assignment 2

Recognition:

I would like to thank my friends, family and Dr. Doug Richey for their support and understanding
through this process, not to mention their willingness to be a sounding board at every step of the way.

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Assignment 2

Bibliography:
DOCCS. (2013). College Programs: Educating Those Who Are Incarcerated to Reduce Recidivism.
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Retrieved October 8, 2014.

Erisman, W., & Contardo, J. (2005). LEARNING to Reduce Recidivism A 50-state analysis of
postsecondary correctional education policy. The Institute for Higher Education Policy.
Gaes, G. (2008). The Impact of Prison Education Programs on Post-Release Outcomes. Reentry
Roundtable on Education, (March 31 and April 1, 2008).
Gospill, L. (2012, January 31). How to Stop Repeat Offenders From Doing Time - Time and Again.
Retrieved October 16, 2014.
Hull, K., Forrester, S., Brown, J., Jobe, D., & McCullen, C. (2000). Analysis of Recidivism Rates for
Participants of the Academic/Vocational/ Transition Education Programs Offered by the Virginia
Department of Correctional Education. Journal of Correctional Education, 51(2), 256-263.
Karpowitz, Daniel, and Max Kenner. Education as Crime Prevention: The Case for Reinstating Pell
Grant Eligibility for the Incarcerated. Rep. Hudson: Bard Prison Initiative, 2008. EBSCO. Web. 6 Oct.
2014.
Lochner, Lance, and Enrico Moretti. 2004. "The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence
from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports." American Economic Review, 94(1):
155-189.

Petersilia, J. (2011). Beyond the Prison Bubble. National Institute of Justice, (268). Retrieved October 6,
2014.
Stevens, D., & Ward, C. (1997). College Education and Recidivism: Educating Criminals Is
Meritorious. Journal of Correctional Education, 48(3), 106-111. Retrieved October 6, 2014.

Stickrath, T., & Wilkinson, R. (1995). Evaluation of the Impact of Correctional Education Programs on
Recidivism. Office of Management Information Systems Bureau of Planning and Evaluation.

RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

APPENDIX A Sample Phone Survey

Participant
ID

Release
Date

Age

Sex

Race

12345
12346
12347
12348

May 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014

41
35
50
27

M
F
M
M

White
Black
Hispanic
White

PSE
Participa
nt?
No
Yes
Yes
No

Arrests since
release?

Convictions
since release?

Reincarceration?

Yes
No
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
No
Yes

Yes
No
No
Yes

RESEARCH METHODS

Matt Baker

Assignment 2

APPENDIX B Personal Vita

Matt Baker
MBA Project Management Student

Apartment

Mars Chocolate

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Home Phone: (with area code)

MattBaker@Email.com
Personal Information
Born: New York
Marital Status: Single
Education
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, 2005, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
M.B.A., Project Management, 2015 (Anticipated), Amberton University, Garland, Tx

Professional Experience
Engineer and project manager since 2006, active in a number of industries including Food and
Beverage, High level security (nuclear power plants, prisons, airports), Grand Format printing, and
engineering consulting.