Introduction
Vocational, educational, and drug rehabilitation programs decrease recidivism and provide opportunities for former convicts to contribute to society, as well as help them to be self-sustaining (Reich, 2017). Vocational-technical programs in prison reduce recidivism by giving inmates job skills for employment in the outside world and have proven to be cost-effective.
Click the Forward arrow to continue.
The Idea
The idea behind work-release programs is that they permit inmates to work in the community when they get near their release date in an effort to lower recidivism rates. Inmates who participate in work-release programs are about twice as likely to find employment within the first 2 years of release, when compared to inmates who do not have work experience.
The Proof
Inmates who participate in work-release programs are 16% less likely to be re-arrested and 17% less likely to be sent back to prison (Reich, 2017).
The Rationale
Vocational-technical training allows former convicts to give back to the community, which helps the economy. For example, prisoners who received employment training paid $459,819 more in income taxes, as compared to those who did not get job training (Reich, 2017). Only 44% of private prisons (and 7% of jails) offer vocational training, whereas almost all federal prisons offer it (Reich, 2017).
References
Reich, J. (2017, August 17). The economic impact of prison rehabilitation programs. Retrieved from https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/2059-the-economic-impact-of-prison-rehabilitation/for-students/blog/news.php