DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 361 485 CE 064 390

TITLE Vocational Education in Prisons: An Investment forYesterday's At-Risk Youth. Evaluation Report.

INSTITUTION Texas State Council on Vocational Education,Austin.

PUB DATE 92NOTE 38p.PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Access to Education; *Adult Vocational Education; *At

Risk Persons; Coordination; *Correctional Education;*Educational Needs; Educational Opportunities; NeedsAssessment; Policy Formation; *Prisoners; ProgramCosts; Public Policy; Secondary Education; StatePrograms; *Statewide Planning

IDENTIFIERS *Texas

ABSTRACT

The provision of secondary vocational education toadult offenders in the Texas state prison system was assessed.Discussions held with inmates established that most adult inmates areformer at-risk youths who eventually dropped out of high school andwho have low self-esteem and poor morale because of their frustratingeducational experiences. The educational needs of the studypopulation were assessed within.the framework of existing educationalprograms within Texas' prison system, access to vocational educationin prisons, and coordination of vocational education policy in thestate's correctional school districts. Eight recommendations were asfollows: (1) develop a comprehensive long-range plan; (2) expandexisting lab space; (3) establish regional education centers to servethe prison system; (4) design and implement a follow-up system totrack employment and recidivism rates of vocational educationcertificate holders; (5) develop a more systematic process forplacing inmates in vocational education; (6) establish a system forintegrating vocational education and prison iobs; (7) allowFoundation School Fund allocations for vocational education forinmates who graduated from high school; and (8) shift authority forexceptions to the one-vocational-course rule to principals andregional supervisors. (Appendixes contain topics for future study,funding categories, estimated costs for a correctionalvocational-technical center, and a description of the servicesoffered by the New Vision Chemical Dependency Treatment Facility inKyle, Texas.) (MN)

**********************V.%. ********Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

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INN ST E TFOR I STERD Y'SAT-RIS YO T

V S DEPAKTMENT OF EDUCATIONOthce of Educational Research and frrfprocernenf

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC.

Q/Krs document has been reproduced asrecerued from the ererSO. Or orgarizationoriginating .1

C Minor changes have been made to mpro.erpreguction quality

Points of ...es., or opinions stated .T11 Ns (SOC.ment do not neCessanly represent official0E111 pos,tion or pohcy

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TE S COUNCIL ON00-e VOCATION EDUCATION

EV UATION REPORTFall 1992

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Ann HodgeHoustonRepresenting the PrivateSectorChair

Mike BickleyLufkinRepresenting Labor

Sylvia Talavera BlainOdessaRepresentingPostsecondary Education

Shirlene S. CookBeaumountRepresenting SecondaryEducation

Paul EllisAustinRepresenting the PrivateSector

Edna I. Garza-Escobedo,Ph.D.HarlingenRepresentingPostsecondary Education

Martha Hinojosa-NadlerAustinRepresenting the PrivateSector

Agency Mission

The Texas Council on VocationalEducation will provide proactiveleadership to define the role of vocationaleducation, and advise state and federalpolicymakers on ways to strengthen andreform vocational-technical education, aswell as build a climate for the acceptanceof outstanding vocational-technicaleducation programs, in order to make allTexans more competitive and productivein the world economy.

Agency Philosophy

The Council's recommendations and issuepapers will infuse the views of business,industry, agriculture, labor, learninginstitutions and the general public into thepolicymaking process.

The Council's evaluation and assessmentof vocational-technical education andtraining programs will be based on theneeds of students, employers, andtaxpayers.

The Council will provide and encourage aclimate of cooperation and coordinationamong vocational-technical education andjob training stakeholders.

The Council will be open and responsiveto policymakers, agency personnel andcitizens in regard to the questions andconcerns about vocational education.

The Council will approach theirresponsibilities with a deep sense ofcommitment and caring about all citizen'sof Texas and the economic welfare of thestate.

Theodore A. TalbotWacoRepresenting the PrivateSectorVice Chair

Steve McSpaddenQuanahRepresentingAgriculture

Jack C. PenningtonGarlandRepresenting Labor

Raul Ramirez, Ph.D.El PasoRepresentingPostsecondaryEducation

Henry R. So tiersCotullaRepresenting SecondaryEducation

Lillian J. SuchoffCorpus ChristiRepresenting SecondaryEducation-SpecialPopulations

Staff:Lynda S. RifeRobert L. WilliamsValeria BlaschkeAnne M. DorseyMichael Gutiérrez

Texas Council on Vocational EducationP. 0. Box 1886, Austin, Texas 78767

Phone: (512) 463-5490; Fax: (512) 475-3575

CHAIRAnn Hodge

Houston

VICE CHAIRTheodore A.Talbot

Waco

MEMBERSMike Bickley

Lufkin

Sylvia Talavera BlainOdessa

Shirlene S. CookBeaumont

Paul H. EllisAustin

Edna Garza-Escobedo, Ph.D.Harlingen

Martha E. Hinojosa-NadlerAustin

Steve L. McSpaddenQuanah

Jack C. PenningtonGarland

Raul Ramirez, Ph.D.El Paso

Henry R. So HersCotulla

Lillian J. SuchoffCorpus Christi

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORLynda S. Rife

December 20, 1992

Dear Fellow Citizens:

On behalf of the Texas Council on Vocational Education, I am pleased topresent our report entitled "Vocational Education in Prisons: An Investment forYesterday's At-Risk Youth." My colleagues and I represent all sectors of societyconcerned with quality vocational education: business, industry, labor, andagriculture, as well as the general public.

In the course of this study, the Council had the opportunity to tour severalprison units. We discovered that many inmates were dropouts or graduatedfrom high school without being vocationally or academically prepared for thereal world.

Our recommendations are designed to increase the opportunity of all inmates toreceive comprehensive vocational training so they can reform their lives. Onceinmates return to the free world, their degree of success in the marketplace willhelp determine whether they remain a tax burden or become a taxpayer.

The Council believes this report adds an important perspective to the currentcriminal justice debate in Texas. We hope our recommendations will providean alternative solution to the terrible waste of human capital in our prisons and along-term look at increasing costs.

Sincerely,

(1/n1)VAnn F. HodgeChair

4Synopsis of "Vocational Education in Prisons:An Investment for Yesterday's At-Risk Youth"

The Texas Council on Vocational Education, a 13-member lay citizen advisory group, had theopportunity to assess vocational education in the Texas prison systems. Since many prisoninmates lack adequate academic preparation and basic skills, vocational education can play alarge part in determining whether they will commit another crime and return to prison orbecome a productive member of society.

Educational programs in the Texas prisons are designed to meet the unique learning needs ofinmates. However, less than 25 percent ever enroll in a regular vocational education course,with less than one percent successfully completing 600 hours of training. Even those fewinmates who successfully complete training are not followed into the labor market to deter-mine the success of the programs.

The citizens of Texas are concerned about escalating crime rates, the costs for housing inmates,and the problem of recidivism in the prison system. A recent study reveals that inmates whoreceive academic and vocational education are more likely to be employed and less likely toreturn to prison. Moreover, the State saves $22,000 when an offender does not return to prison.The state could save $6.6 billion with a 1 percent reduction in recidivism rates. Since academicand vocational education can reduce the recidivism rate, the money spent on comprehensiveprogramming is an investment in lowered crime and incarceration costs.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The Texas Council on Vocational Education concludes that all men and women in the Texasprisons should have access and be encouraged to participate in vocational education. Thefollowing recommendations are designed to improve educational service delivery in Texasprisons.

1. Implement a comprehensive, long-range plan identifying the need forvocational training, developing training strategies and methods to create alearning environment, and identifying strategies for inmates to secureemployment upon release.

2. Expand lab space to be able to offer more vocational courses to meet demands.

3. Establish Regional Education Centers to serve the prison system.

4. Design and implement a follow-up system to track the employment andrecidivism rates of vocational education certificate holders.

5. Develop a more systematic process for placing inmates in vocational educa-tion.

6. Establish a system for integrating vocational education and, prison jobs.7. Allow Foundation School Fund allocations to provide vocational education to

inmates who have graduated from high school.

8. Shift the authority to make exceptions to the "one-vocational course" ruledownward to the level of principal and regional supervisor.

4TABLE OF CONTENTS

Agency Mission and Philosophy Inside Front Cover

Letter to the Citizens of Texas by the Chair

Introduction Page 1

Yesterday's At-Risk Youth Page 1

Education in the Prison System Page 5

Access Page 11

Policy Coordination Page 19

Conclusions and Recommendations Page 22

Appendices Page 27

G

1

11111=1M1

INTRODUCTION

The Texas Council on Vocational Edu-cation, refered to in this report as the Coun-cil, was created by federal and state laws asan impartial body, composed of volunteers,to provide an objective, informed lay per-spective to the evaluation of vocational edu-cation. The members of the Council are notexperts. They are citizens of Texas, repre-senting all sectors of society having an in-terest in vocational education: business,labor, education and agriculture, as well asthe general public. Their purpose is tospeak for the average taxpayer. Councilmembers are nominated by the Governor ofTexas and appointed by the State Board ofEducation and confirmed by the Senate.

The federal Carl D. Perkins Voca-tional and Applied Technology EducationAct defines the purpose of vocational educa-tion broadly; "to make the United States morecompetitive in the world economy by devel-oping more fully the academic and occupa-tional skilla of all segments of the popula-tion." One of the Council's mandates underthe Act is to analyze and review correction'svocational education programs. In theSpring of 1992, the Counci: initiated ananalysis of the vocational education pro-grams in the Texas prison system.

The Council developed the conclu-sions and recommendations in this reportby interviewing criminal justice experts,correctional administrators, principals,teachers, and counselors; reviewing back-ground literature and annual reports of boththe Windham School System and the TexasDepartment of Criminal Justice (TDC1); pe-rusing other agencies' and consultants' pro-gram evaluations; and investigating otherstates' programs. The Council held discus-sions with male and female inmates, both

first-time and repeat offenders. Their testi-monies added a valuable client-centered per-spective to the review.

Scope of the ReportThe Council had limited time, re-

sources, and staff with which to conductthis study. Consequently, this report is lim-ited in scope. Instead of addressing themultiple dimensions of corrections educa-tion in a cursory way, the Council chose tofocus on the provision of secondary voca-tional education to adult offenders in thestate prison system. Although postsecondaryvocational courses are also offered in Texasprisons, most inmates who receive voca-tional education are enrolled in secondarycourses because they are not high schoolgraduates. Several topics, such aspostsecondary education, which merit at-tention but were not systematically evalu-ated for this report, are listed in Appendix A,"Topics for Future Study."(Note: Since females composed only fourpercent of the inmate population in FY 1991,the Council will, for convenience, be usingthe masculine pronoun to refer to inmatesthroughout this report. However, the com-ments made here apply generally to womenin prison also.)

YESTERDAY'S AT-RISK YOUTH

The Council's discussions with in-mates in the course of this review revealeda portrait of a population lacking the mostbasic academic preparation for productivecareers. Most of the inmates were highschopl dropouts who expressed low self-es-teem and poor morale from a history offrustrating educational experiences. Their

7

portrayals of their failures in school as chil-dren resembled the portraits of many oftoday's "at risk" youth in the Texas' publicschool system.

The inmates gave various reasons forsteering off course. Some came from bro-ken homes, were emotionally troubled, orhad alcoholic parents. Others had learningdisabilities, fell behind in school and justgaye up. Most of them lacked a basic sense ofbelonging and turned to drugs.

One inmate described his experiencewith school while growing up in this way: "Ihad stability in school up till the sixth gradeand from the seventh grade on, it was justone school after the other .... I was alwaysthe new kid in school, and it was hard to finda feeling of belonging. The kids I hungaround with were the other kids that feltlike they didn't fit in. We were the ones thatwere out in the parking lot smoking dope,disrupting class, that type of stuff."

Another offender had a slightly dif-ferent experience, but with the same re-sults: "Up until the fourth grade, I managedto complete and actually be above where Ishould be. In the fifthgrade, I moved and in-stantly fell so far behindthat I never caught upagain. By the end of juniorhigh, I had already startedexperimenting with drugsand alcohol because I knewI didn't fit into school. Bymy freshman year in highschool, they finally real-ized I had dyslexia and putme in resource. That was worse. You knowthat you are not as good as everyone else, sothat took me farther away from school."

A statistical profile of the more than49,000 felons incarcerated in Texas state

prisons in 1991 confirms these educationaland employment disadvantages:

More than three out of four were highschool dropouts;45 percent functioned below a sixth-grade level;In 1989-90, the unemployment rate foroffenders when arrested was 47 percentcompared with 6.7 percent for the gen-eral population in Texas.

Limited Opportunities for EmploymentA male first-time offender com-

mented, "Right now there are a lot of peopleunemployed. I don't know whose fault thatis, but I think that inmates will probably bethe last ones to get jobs."

The likelihood of offenders obtain-ing viable employment when they are re-leased into the "free world" will largelydetermine whether they become produc-tive, taxpaying members of the work forceor whether they will return to prison andremain tax burdens. High school dropoutswill be able to fill only 14 percent of all newjobs, according to the State Occupational

Information CoordinatingCommittee (SOICC). Thus, forthose who en:er prison withlittle or no occupationalskills, their ability to com-pete in the labor market willdepend on the quality andextent of the academic andvocational preparation theyreceive while in prison.

Convicted felons facean added barrier to employ-

menttheir criminal records. A study bythe U.S. Department of Labor attributed 5 to10 percent of all unemployment problemsamong ex-offenders to their past criminalhistory. This makes the need for strong

"Right now there area lot of people

unemployed. I don'tknow whose fault that

is, but I think thatinmates will probablybe the last ones to get

jobs."1st Time Offender

2

qualifications and effective job search skillsfor this group all the more important.

Return to PrisonEventually, 95 percent of all offend-

ers will return to society. More than 37,000inmates were released from Texas state pris-ons in 1991 alone. In Texas, 43 percent ofthem will be back in prison again withinthree years of release. This recidivism ratehas increased from 3s percent to 43 percentsince 1984, according to a study conductedby the University of Texas. (See Chart 1below.)

Criminal justice scholars have iden-tified academic and vocational education asessential components in any effort to reha-bilitate offenders. Rehabilitation calls foraddressing the conditions which contributeto criminal activity, such as unemployment,lack of basic education, and substance abuse,in order to reduce the reoccurrence of

Chart 1Recidivism Rate in Texas

For 1987 Parolees

*100 Inmates T'aroledH Year I I Year 2 I

43 Backin PrisonRecidivism Rate

49%

42%

35%

28%

21%14%

7%

35%

Year 3

1984 1987

Source: Criminal Justice Policy Council

3

criminal behavior and the recidivism rate.

Education and Employment Prevents ReturnsRecent studies have shown that both

education and employment lower the re-cidivism rate. In Texas, the Criminal JusticePolicy Council found that employed offend-ers and those with a high school diploma hadlower recidivism rates than the unemployedor high school dropouts. Forty-eight per-cent of unemployed offenders werereincarcerated compared with 33 percent ofemployed offenders. Nearly half of all of-fenders with less than a high school educa-tion returned to prison compared with 37percent of those with a 12th-grade educa-tion.

In the State of Illinois, prison offi-cials tracked their inmates for one yearafter release from prison. They found thatthose who had received both academic andvocational education while in prison hadhigher employment rates and were lesslikely to commit a crime than those who hadnot received any training. The employmentrate of offenders who were enrolled in bothacademic and vocatiltial education was morethan 50 percent higher than the rate forinmates who received no education. Also, 32percent of inmates who received no train-ing returned to criminal activity after theywere released compared with 23 percent ofvocational/academic students. (See Chart 2on page 4.)

Cost SavingsBecause of the enormous costs of in-

carcerating each individual inmate, even amodest change in the recidivism rate willlead to substantial cost savings. In its August1990 report, the State Auditor's Office esti-Mated that for every offender who doesnot return to prison, the state saves

Chart 2:Academic and Vocational Education

vs. Control Group

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10)6

5%

Employment CriminalRate Activity

C3 Completed Academic & Voc. Ed.Did Not Participate in Education ProgramsWEI

Note: 12 months after release

Source: Illinois Council on VocationalEducation, "Correctional Edu-cation: A Way to Stay Out"

4

$22,000 per stay. Furthermore, forevery one percent reduction in re-cidivism, 300 fewer offenders returnto prison, resulting in the state avoid-ing incarceration costs of $6.6 mil-lion.

Jo

EDUCATION IN THE PRISON SYSTEM

Several levels of education are of-fered to eligible inmates in Texas prisons,from basic literacy instruction and prepa-ration for a GED, to advanced degrees. Voca-tional education is provided at the second-ary and community college levels.

Given the inadequate academic prepa-ration and high unemployment rate of theinmate population, education for inmatesfocuses primarily on basic remediation, GEDpreparation, and vocational training "toenhance the probability of an inmate be-coming gainfully employed upon releasefrom prison." In fact, inmates must receivebasic literacy instruction while in prison ifthey cannot read and perform math on atleast the sixth-grade level. Participation invocational education is voluntary.

Inmates typically go to school sixhours per day and usually hold a job. In1990-91, of the 101,391 inmates who wereincarcerated sometime during the year, 39percent participated in some type of educa-tional program. Of those students, 13 per-cent were enrolled in secondary vocationaleducation.

In addition to teaching academic skillsand vocational competencies, the educa-tional curriculum in Texas prisons includesan added dimension, that of instilling in-mates with "social skills that will providethem with self-confidence and the ability tointeract successfully with their fellow man."The vocational curriculum includes sessionson job search strategies, self-employment,getting along with others, a; La substanceabuse treatment and employment.

Pioneering School AdministrationTexas pioneered the establishment of

a statewide correctional school district to

5

administer academic and vocational educa-tion to prisoners. The Windham SchoolSystem was created in 1969 and is operatedby the Texas Department of Criminal Justice(TDCJ), Institutional Division. The WindhamSchool System is a separate school districtfor the 43 correctional institutions that existin the state prison system or will come online in 1992-93. Currently, a school districtwithin the prison system appears to havebeen accepted nationwide by correctionseducators as the most effective structure fordelivering education to inmates.

The primary advantages of deliver-ing corrections education through a schooldistrict are that it ensures the same TexasEducation Agency standards required of allpublic education and provides an ongoingfunding source. The Windham School Sys-tem is accountable to the State Board of Edu-cation for program quality and educationstandards, and its programs are accreditedand reviewed regularly by the Texas Educa-tion Agency. Its teachers must hold theappropriate state credentials.

FundingThe Windham School System receives

the bulk of its funding through the Founda-tion School Program. A small allocationfrom the federal Perkins Act is used to buyequipment, and vocational labs are financedthrough TDCJ's budget. In 1990-91, the statespent $32.9 million on the Windham SchoolSystem, which was slightly over two per-cent of the $1.55 billion budget to operatethe prison system in Texas, including con-struction costs (See Chart 3 on page 6.)

GovernanceThe Board of Criminal Justice gov-

erns the Windham School System, and alsoserves as the policymaking body for TDCJ.The Superintendent of Windham Schoolsreports to the Board through the ExecutiveDirector of TDCJ (See Chart 4 on page 7.)

The provision of academic and voca-tional education in Texas' correctional sys-tem is part of the rehabilitation function of

TDCJ's three-fold mission. In its enablinglegislation, TDCJ is charged with:

Confinement of offenders as punishmentfor their crimes;Rehabilitation of offenders to preventthem from returning to prison;Reintegration of offenders for a suc-cessful transition into society.

Chart 3

Institutional Division Appropriationsfor the Year Ending

8/31/92

Renovations &Construction**

43%

Private Prisons5%

Education*2.2%

Me

Ainmm

MM.

=WM

11map.

=wpm.

11..

IndustrialPrograms

3%

*Does not include construction costs for vocational education labs."Incudes funding for vocational education labs.

Support Services8%

Administration1%

Security31%

Health ServiceF8%

Note: See Appendix B for explanation of funding categories.Source: 72nd Legislature, General Appropriations for 1991-92.

126

4Chart 4

Organizational Chart

Governor

Board of CriminalJustice

Executive Director,'Mg

Pardons andParoles Division

Director,Institutional Division

Community JusticeAssistance Division

Health Services Operations

Superintendent ofWindham Schools

Finance

Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 1991 Annual Report.

7 13

Success StoriesCorrectional instructors face one of

the biggest educational challenges today.Their students are primarily the at-risk stu-dents: high school dropouts lacking themost basic reading and math skills, whohave not responded well to traditional teach-ing methods in public schools. They havepoor morale and low self-esteem from ahistory of frustrating educational experi-ences. This educationally disadvantagedpopulation must obtain the skills to be pre-pared to compete in today's workforce. How-ever, Windham has a very limited time frameto improve the inmate'sskills.

The Council heard nu-merous testimonies from in-mates about the differencecorrections education madein their motivation tochange. Some of them indi-cated that their educationalachievements in prisonwere the first successes theyhad ever experienced inschool. The new-found de-termination of three inmateswith whom the Council spokeis expressed in their com-ments below:

"Well I know that I am going to runinto doors that are not going to be open tome, and what I have learned here is going toenable me to bounce off that door and go tothe ones that will be opened to me and not letthe one that is closed get me in a position towhere I am ready to give up again."

"I dropped out of high school in theninth grade. I received my GED while herein Huntsville. I received a small businessentrepreneurship course. I passed my testfor college entrance... I am going in the

1111

right direction. I think I want to start aMexican food restaurant."

"You know when I got out of highschool, I had nothing... It is like I was with-out hope. Just the little education that I havereceived here has helped me put away somethings that have been bothering me overthe years, like, that I can't learn."

Customized CurriculumTo address the challenge, the

Windham School System has designed a vo-cational education program tailored to theunique learning needs of its clientele and

the short prison stays ofmany of the inmates. Inparticular, the Councilfound the following suc-cessful components inplace in the WindhamSchool System:

Individually-based,self-paced instruction;Competency-based, seg-

vocational

"I dropped out ofhigh school in the

9th grade. Ireceived my GED...

took a small businessentrepreneurshipcourse, and passedmy test for college

entrance inHuntsville..I want tostart a mexican food

restaurant."

8

Inmate

nientedcourses;Dedicated, well-quali-fied teachers;Curricular inclusion ofsocial skills, proper

work habits and job search skills, andother survival skills into the vocationaleducation program;Project RIO: a separate, active job searchprogram to help inmates reintegrate intosociety.

Both academic and vocational coursesare taught on a non-graded, individual basisto accommodate differences in students'preparation and capabilities, and allow eachstudent to proceed at his own pace. Thecompetency-based, achievement-orientedcurriculum enables students to build confi-

14

dence by experiencing success within shortperiods of time.

Course SelectionVocational education courses should

be offered on the basis of viable careeropportunities, relevance toindustries in Texas, and oc-cupational prospects.

Educational adminis-trators select vocationaleducation program offer-ings based on the followinginformation: current prisonindustries; Texas Employ-ment Commission publications; Texas Busi-ness Today; Texas Work Force 2000; the TexasEducation Agency's list of priority occupa-tions; and by consulting with an advisorycouncil composed of educators and repre-sentatives of business and industry. TheWindham School System submits new courseofferings through the Texas EducationAgency approval process as do other schooldistricts.

Windham uses the prison industriesas possible training priorities. Althoughsome prision industries provide a good choicefor training, others such as computer key-punching would not be appropriate forcourse selection standards due to availablepositions outside the prison system.

ers in the Winhdam School system are cer-tified by the State of Texas and hold theappropriate teaching credentials. Most ofthe vocational teachers have industry expe-rience.

The Windham School System providesa comprehensive trainingprogram for its vocationalteachers, which includesinnovative learning meth-ods specifically tailored tothe unique challenges ofteaching school dropouts.However, teachers withwhom the Council met ex-

desire for more "free world"

"I live on the mainrun...guys playingdominoes..right infront of my house

while I am trying tostudy."

Dedicated, Caring TeachersThe success of any educational pro-

gram is dependent upon the commitmentand quality of the teaching staff. This isespecially true when working with studentswho have experienced learning difficultieswith traditional teaching methods. All ofthe teachers with whom the Council metwere dedicated to helping inmates raise theirself-esteem and succeed in school. All teach-

Inmate

pressed theprofessional development and for more con-tact with other vocational education teach-ers.

Learning EnvironmentThe Council heard many inmates ex-

press the need for a quiet study space. Theircells are not conducive places for studying,as this inmate explains: "I live on the mainrun which is adjacent to the day room areaand have guys playing dominoes and chessand everything else right in front of myhouse while I am trying to study."

Most inmates who go to school alsohold a job, so their study time is limited,which complicates matters. "There are somany people that aren't trying to do any-thing, and they sit in the day room slam-ming the dominoes and hollering. Reallythe only time to study usually is after work.We work from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. We haveto go eat and shower. If you have school, youhave to be there by 6:00 p.m. When you getout of class and study in your cell, well withall the noise it is really hard."

Another hindrance to effective study-ing is that for some courses, inthates do not

9 15

have access to textbooks outside of class.Also, access to libraries can be very limiteddepending on the unit. Some inmates onlyhave a few hours of assigned library timeper week. The need for a condusive learn-ing environment was apparent throughoutthe prison system.

Reintegration of OffendersTransition services to help inmates

successfully reintegrate into society areoffered through Project RIO (Re-Integra-tion of Offenders). Project RIO is a combinedeffort between the Windham School System,

10

the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,and the Texas Employment Commission tohelp newly released inmates from prisonfind work. Its purpose is to provide a link forinmates between training and services whileincarcerated to training and job placementin the local community upon release. Inprison, the inmate develops an employmentplan one year before release. Project RIOservices for ex-offenders upon release in-clude orientation, a 20-hour job search work-shop, employment counseling, and employerreferrals. Participation in the program isvoluntary.

1.6

1.ACCESS

The Council found that, of the ap-proximately 37,000 inmates released fromTexas state prisons in 1991, only 8,588, or 23percent, were ever enrolled in a regularsecondary vocational education course whilein prison, regardless of how many timesthey had been incarcerated. Only 5,482, or15 percent, received a certificate of partici-pation, which means that they acquired atleast one occupational skill in a vocationaltraining program. For example, the airconditioning and refrigeration course isdivided into four segments: tubing opera-tions, fundamentals of electricity, domesticrefrigeration fundamentals, and fundamen-tals of window air conditioning. An inmatewho achieves competency in at least one ofthose segments receives a certificate of par-ticipation. However, only 2,926, or 8 per-cent, of those released completed all seg-ments of a 600 hour or six-month vocationaleducation program. (See Chart 5.)

The Council tried to determine why sofew inmates receive any vocational educa-tion while in prison. Since vocational edu-cation is voluntary for inmates, the lowparticipation rate could be due to severalfactors, including short prison stays, lit-eracy skills, lack of vocational courses, se-curity, and motivation.

Short Prison StaysHalf of all state inmates in Texas now

serve approximately 11 months behind bars,which includes the time they spend in countyjail awaiting transfer to prison. Jail back-logs have led to some inmates spending asmuch as seven months of their sentences injail where vocational training is not avail-able. Since the regular secondary voca-tional courses are six months in length, this

Chart 5Impact of Vocational Education on

the Prison Population

lfitt(ltft t t it it tt tRtttltttt

Out of25 InmatesReleased

6 Enrolled in Second-ary Vocational Edu-cation Courses

4 Received a Certifi-cate for Learning OneSkill Area

2 Passed All Segmentsof Vocational Educa-t ion Program (6months of vocationaleducation)

short tenure creates severe time constraintsfor vocational educators.

Windham addresses the short timeconstraints through the use of segments orclusters. For example, the six-month build-ing maintenance course is taught in foursegments: electrical, plumbing, painting/drywall; and window repair. These courses

11

17

were developed to meet the needs of themajority of inmates who serve less than ayear. These six-month courses are for 30hours per week. If an inmate completes allsegments a a course, he will receive 600hours of training.

The six-month course schedule willnot meet the needs of those inmates whoserve multiple years. They could be pre-pared for more than entry-level positions,if they were allowed to take more in-depthtraining.

Lack of Basic LiteracyThe lack of basic literacy of many of

the inmates entering prison exacerbatesthe time constraint. Students must be ableto function at a minimum academic level inorder to have a reasonable chance of suc-ceeding in a vocational program. An inmatewho reads at a third-grade level, for ex-ample, will soon fall behind in an auto me-chanics class if he cannot read the manual.

The prerequisite grade level that stu-dents must achieve varies with the pro-gram, from a low of 5.5 for welding to a highof 7.0 for drafting and electronics. Since 45percent of inmates function below the sixth-grade level, many inmates must completeremediation before they caneven enroll in a vocationalcourse. This lack of aca-demic preparation, com-bined with the short prisonstays, makes it difficult formany inmates to receiveboth academic and voca-tional education while in prison.

Many public schools are integratingacademic and vocational education to en-rich the learning process. They have foundthat combining these classes encouragesstudents to learn much more than they would

in separate courses. Although studies havenot been done on the speed of learning, itcan be assumed that increased motivationwould speed up the learning process.

Lack of Lab SpaceA male repeat offender said, "Well, I

signed up for a class and waited for almost ayear before I decided I was tired of waitingand so I went ahead and took a computerclass because parole said I had to take avocational class before I could leave."

The Windham School System does notappear to have enough lab space to accom-modate the demand for vocational educationcourses. Vocational classrooms are sched-uled full-time, year round. For example, at aunit which offers a welding program, twoclasses are scheduled in the shop every day.In total, 260 secondary vocational coursesare offered in 50 occupational trade areas.With approximately 20 students attendingeach course, this gives Windham the capac-ity to serve approximately 4,700 students, or10 percent of the prison population.

It appears that many more studentswould like to take courses than Windhamcan accommodate. Although the WindhamSchool System no longer tallies the total

waiting list numberssystemwide, reports by theTexas Sunset Commis-sion and the State Audi-tor found waiting listsof 1,269 inmates in 1986and 2,044 inmates in1990.

Since lab space is not adequate toaccommodate everyone who wants to take avocational course, Windham School Systempolicy restricts eligibility for vocational edu-cation to one secondary vocational courseand one post-secondary vocational course

..."I signed up for acourse and waited foralmost a year before Idecided I was tired of

waiting..."Repeat Offender

12 3

per inmate. This is an understandable at-tempt to allocate training fairly by allowingeveryone a chance to take one course beforeothers can take a second one. However, someinmates may need an additional vocationalcourse if there is a large gap between whenthey first received training and their dateof release. Repeat offenders who completeda vocational course in a pre-vious prison stay may alsoneed additional training. Ifthey cannot update their oc-cupational skills or practicethem on the job, those skillswill likely lapse by the timethey are released. Inmateswho want to take additionalcourses must request an ex-ception from the Superin-tendent of Windham Schools.It is difficult to determinehow often these are granted.Waivers can only be grantedto the extent capacity is available.

initially assign each incoming offender to aunit. TDCJ receives 120 new offenders everyday at its diagnostic center. A series ofinterviews and tests are conducted to de-velop a profile of each inmate, which is usedto determine his custody level, or securitystatus. Neither academic nor vocational edu-cation needs are considered in this process.

No comprehensiveaptitude/interest inventoryis conducted to assess aninmate's suitability for vari-ous vocational programs.Thus, vocational trainingneeds are not considered inthe placement of inmates.

When an inmatereaches his unit, he is in-structed about the variousvocational education pro-grams at that unit. He mayalso discuss his options withacademic and vocational

guidance counselors who are assigned tothe prison units. At some units, theratio of guidance counselors to in-mates is 1,100 to one. At the Wynne unit,the two counselors specialize, one in aca-demic and one in vocational education. Inessence, each counselor is in charge of theacademic or vocational needs of 2,500 in-mates.

An inmate may request a transferto a unit which offers a vocational programhe would like to take. However, educatorsand counselors indicated that transfers canbe problematic. Inmates living on a unithave first priority for courses offered attheir unit. The most popular courses, likedental laboratory aide, are never filled fromother units because there are always in-mates already living on the unit who arewaiting to attend. In addition, such requests

An inmate who testsat a 5th grade level

could beplaced...where onlydrafting is offered....he can participate

in remedial educationuntil he raises his

educational achieve-ment to a 7th gradelevel to qualify for

the course.

Limited Choice of CoursesThe Windham School System offers

vocational education programs in 50 differ-ent trade areas, from welding and smallengine repair to drafting and electronics.(See Chart 6 on page 14.) These vocationalprograms are available at 43 different prisonunits throughout Texas. (See Texas Depart-ment of Criminal Justice Units of Institu-tional Division on page 16.) BecauseWindham cannot build 50 labs at each unit,some programs are offered at only one unit,like dental laboratory aide, while others areprovided at more than one site. Welding, forexample, can be taken at 10 different units.This system restricts an inmate's vocationaleducation options.

Classification is the process used to

13

Chart 6Windham School System Vocational Courses

a.

§.b

0 0 a 0 .0CO CO CO CO CCI 0

Air Conditioning & RefrigerationAuto Collision Repair & Refining TechnicianAutomotive SpecializationAutomotive Specialization (Automatic Transmission)Automotive Specialization (Radiator Repair)Auto Specialization (Automotive Electronics)BarberingBricklaying/StonemasonBuilding TradesBusiness Computer ApplicationsCommercial and Industrial Wiring

,Comprehensive Home Economics*Construction Ca !pantryCulinary ArtsCVAE Business Office Services*CVAE Cooperative TrainingCVAE Institutional MaintenanceDental Laboratory AideDiesel MechanicsDraftingElectrical TradesFloriculture*Graphic ArtsHorticultureHydraulics & Pneumatics (Controls Technology)Industrial Electronics Circuit Board Repair)Industrial Equipment RepairIntroduction to Construction CareersMachine ShoMachine Shop (Machine Tool Oper. CAD/CAM)Maintenance Mechanics Building (Facility Care)Major Appliance RepairMeat CuttingMicrocomputer ApplicationsMill & CabinetmakingOffice Support SystemsOutdoor Power Equipment & Landscape Mgmt.Painting & Decorating (Wall & Floor Trades)Piping Trades/PlumbingPrinciples of TechnologyRemodeling - Interior & ExteriorRetail MerchandisingSheet MetalSmall Engine RepairSmall Engine Repair/MotorcycleTruck Driving

.d

VEH General Construction TradesVEH Horticulture RelatedVocational ElectronicsWeldingTOTAL

*For women only

6 6 4 3 3 413 8 1 4 3 4 5 3 8 10, 5 3 4 3 6 2 5 2 3 3: 7 6 5 1

14 20

Vocational Courses Continued

-..T..,

CO

a.

-0EEEtIo.05.,-=--ttc,5CO

a.

>,0

CO

cC

,e

OS

cc

..0

0cc

e>

0CC

_c

0CC

cg.eCD"CZ0

CC

0

..Vco

hcn

.aZ'co

=m1

th

oIe

>.3 o1Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 6Auto Collision Repair & Refining Technician 1

Automotive Specialization 12Automotive Specialization (Automatic Transmission) 5Automotive Specialization (Radiator Repair) 1

Auto Specialization (Automotive Electronics) 3Barbering 1

Bricklaying/Stonemason 5Building Trades 1

Business Computer Applications 6Commercial and Industrial WiringComprehensive Homemaking Education* 1

Construction Carpentry 4Culinary Arts 1

CVAE Business Office Services* 1

CVAE Cooperative Training 8CVAE Institutional Maintenance 4Dental Laboratory Aide 1

Diesel Mechanics 2Drafting 6Electrical Trades 10Floriculture* 1

Graphic Arts 2Horticulture 9Hydraulics & Pneumatics (Controls Technology) 4Industrial Electronics (Circuit Board Repair) 1

Industrial Equipment Repair ; 1

Introduction to Construction Careers 11

Machine Shop 1

Machine Shop (Machine Tool Oper. CAD/CAM) 2Maintenance Mechanics Building (Facility Care) 9Major Appliance Repair 7Meat Cutting 1

Microcomputer ApplicationsMill & Cabinetmaking 5Office Support Systems 2Outdoor Power Equipment & Landscape Mgmt. 3Painting & Decorating (Wall & Floor Trades) 4Piping Trades/Plumbing 6Principles of Technology 1

Remodeling - Interior & Exterior 2Retail Merchandising 3Sheet Metal 1

Small Engine Repair 3

Small Engine Repair/Motorcycle 2Truck Driving 1

VEH General Construction Trades 1

VEH Horticulture Related 1

Vocational Electronics 4Welding 10

T O T A L 2 5 3 3 4 2 3 3 3 6 6 3 6 183

4Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Units of Institutional Division

Amarillo

Abilene AreaRobertson Unit

Amarillo AreaClements Unit

Lamesa

C;Ildresa

Snyder

AbileneFairfield / Tear: Rusk

Wao Palatine

Catrwilk Marlin

Hondo

Dilley

Woodville

Huntsville livingsj°Beaumont

Nswots

Beeville

S ;gar Land

Angleto:

Angleton AreaClemens UnitDarrington UnitRamsey 1, II, Ill UnitsRetrieve Unit

Beeville AreaMcConnell Unit

Childress AreaRoach Unit

Dayton ArraHightower Unit

Dilley AreaBriscoe Unit

Fairfield/Teague AreaBoyd Unit

Galveston AreaHospital Unit*

Catesville AreaCatessille UnitHilltop UnitMountain View UnitHughes Unit

Hondo AreaTorres Unit

Huntsville AreaAdministration BuildingEastharn UnitEllis 1, II UnitsFerguAon UnitCome Unit*Huntsville UnitWynne Unit

Jefferson County Area(Beaumont)

Stiles Unit

Lamesa ArraSmith Unit

Marlin AreaHobby Unit

Navasota AreaPack I. 11 Units

Palestine AreaBeto 1, II UnitsCoffield UnitMichael Unit

Galveston

Pampa AreaJordan Unit

Polk County Area(Livingston)

Terrell Unit

Rusk AreaSkyview Unit

Snyder AreaDaniel Unit

Sugar Land AreaCent:al UnitJester I, II, Ill Units

Woodville AreaLewis Unit

"'These units do not have vocational programs.

Source: Annual Report for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 1991

2216

must be approved by the classification com-mittee, which take lower priority than trans-fers for security reasons.

Some inmates also expressed reluc-tance to transfer once they get settled into aunit and have adjusted well there. If theyfeel secure with their living arrangements,including cellmate, and job assignment, theyare less likely to want to movefor the uncertainty of a newenvironment. One inmate de-scribed it this way: "I havebeen locked up for four yearsvnd have been in absolutelyno trouble whatsoever. I amnot going to take the chanceof being transferred to an-other unit for a vocationalschool not knowing what thebosses are going to be like. Iknow I can survive righttrouble."

Most units schedule classes in several shiftsthroughout the day. Work and school sched-ules were identified as a problem in discus-sions with inmates and teachers.

According to policy, work assign-ments will not interfere with training; how-ever, the Council heard conflicting reportsfrom inmates and instructors.

"I am not going totake the chance of

being transferred toanother unit for a

vocational school notknowing what the

bosses are going to belike. I know I can

survive right here..."Repeat Offender

here out of

SecurityThe need of TDCJ to maintain security

means that some inmates will be prohibitedfrom participating in vocational education.Only inmates who maintain a minimum cus-tody level, or security status are eligible toparticipate. Approximately 86 percent ofthe inmate population at any given timemeets this criteria and thus is eligible toparticipate, according to TDCJ officials.

Work and Class ConflictsThe Legislature has mandated that

TDCJ should be as self-sustaining as possiblethrough the operation of prison industries.Since nearly all inmates also hold jobs, workschedules can conflict with classes. Also,some employment supervisors may not ap-prove of school or inmates may not want togive up a valued job in order to attend classes.

17

MotivationThe motivation levels

of inmates differ. In mostunits, school comes in addi-tion to their jobs and the ad-ditional work does not seemworth the effort. The Coun-cil believes that it wouldstrengthen the learning en-vironment if every inmatewith an identified need for

vocational education were encouraged toparticipate in vocational training. Inmatescould be motivated by showing them theadvantages of particular trades: salary level,employment outlook, occupational setting,and the alternative life style promised withwork competence.

The Council was pleased to find thatparole officer& are beginning to requirethat inmates with little or no occupationalskills gain some training as a condition ofparole. However, demand cannot be stimu-lated until Windham can serve all the in-mates who need and want vocational train-ing.

High School Graduates Lack OptionsA female repeat offender commented,

"If you have a high school diploma, you areunable to take certain vocational classes.Graphic Arts, I think, is a great class and Ihave been trying to get in. That is likediscriminating against people who... well,

?3

it's like saying, you've got that education,we don't want you to get this one here."

TDC,J and Windham Schools report thatapproximately 15 to 20 percent of inmatesare high school graduates. These inmatesare not eligible -.() take Windham secondaryvocational education courses becauseWindham is financedthrough Foundation Schoolfunds which are set aside forsecondary education only.Therefore, state law prohib-its the use of public schoolfunding for inmates whohave already received a high school educa-tion. Thus, high school graduates who areinterested in vocational education can onlytake community college vocational courses.

The problem is that many of the in-mates who are high school graduates arefunctioning below a 12th-grade level andthus are not qualified to take college-levelcourses. If inmates cannot read at a collegelevel, they will not be successful in the

postsecondary courses. Most inmates do nothave the time to do the remediation neededto attain college-level proficiency. Second-ary vocational courses, on the other hand,only require an inmate to attain a minimumof a 5th grade academic level. This situationcreates a sizable obstacle for inmates who

need to develop occupationalskills in a short period oftime.

Many of these in-mates who need and wantvocational training are thusdiscouraged from receiving

it, as this inmate explains: "I wanted to takethe small business course but couldn't takeit because I have a high school diploma. Ibarely scraped through high school, and Itook the college entrance exam, and I failedthe math. I put school totally on the backburner for awhile."

Allowing all inmates to take avail-able vocational courses would increase ac-cess to a wider range of vocational courses.

"I took the collegeentrance exam, and

failed the math. I putschool totally on the

back burner."

18

Inmate

24

1

POLICY COORDINATION

A correctional school district, such asthe Windham School System, allows controlover instructional programs to be placed inthe hands of educators, and not the correc-tions staff. This arrangement results inadherence to minimum educational stan-dards, stateivide teacher certification andpreparation requirements, an ongoingfunding source for instructional programs,and systemwide policies established by aschool board. In otherwords, it gives the qualityof education to inmates thatis provided to other stu-dents.

However, becausecorrectional school dis-tricts operate within prisonwalls, they do not have com-plete control over all aspects of service de-livery, such as access or independent sourcesof revenue, like regular public school dis-tricts. As Dr. Osa Coffey, a leading expert inthe corrections education field has said:"Correctional school districts.., should notbe viewed as a panacea. They are only asgood as they are permitted to be by theDepartment of Corrections, the State Educa-tion Agency, the state legislature and theGovernor's Office."

tional training, as part of TDCJ's mission torehabilitate, must be coordinated with itsmission to be as financially self-sustainingas possible through the operation of prisonindustries. To maximize access to vocationaleducation, classes must be coordinated withinmates' schedules for working, sleeping,eating, medical services, and substance-abuse treatment programs.

"Correctional schooldistricts should not

be viewed as apanacea. They are

only as good as theyare permitted to be."

Dr. Osa Coffey

Reliance on CoordinationIn the State of Texas, the Windham

School System must rely on policymakersfor effective service delivery: the Legisla-ture for funding its vocational labs throughTDCJ's budget; the Governor for appoint-ments to its school board; the Board of Crimi-nal Justice and TDCJ for coordination of itseducational program with TDCJ's other op-erations and mandates. For example, voca-

Job AssignmentsInmates may not have

the opportunity to immedi-ately apply the skills theyhave learned in class to jobsin the "free" world. Comple-tion of vocational educationdoes not necessarily coincidewith an inmate's release date.

Thus, coordination of prison job assignmentswith vocational training received while inprison is an essential component of an ef-fective vocational education program forinmates.

The Council found no systematic at-tempt to coordinate prison job assignmentswith inmates' vocational training or em-ployment histories. Although __mates saidthey were asked about their work back-grounds when they first arrived at the re-ception center, there appeared to be littleconnection between the jobs they eventu-ally received and their previous work expe-rience or vocational education. It appearsthat the assignment of jobs is driven at leastin part by logistical consideratior, In-mates are placed in jobs after they arrive attheir unit, where they have been sent basedon their custody level.

Many inmates expressed discourage-ment with the lack of coordination between

19

25

their vocational education training andprison job assignments. They were con-cerned that they would lose the skills theylearned in class by the time they got out ofprison, especially for those who had a bigtime gap between training and release. Inthe words of one inmate: "If you take acourse, and you graduate, you don't get anygratification for it. You go through a tradeschool and you learn the trade and they stickyou washing someone else's underwear.Well, two years later when you get out, youdon't remember anything."

Another inmate said getting the edu-cation without applying it on the job isfutile: "I could take a course, but you know,after I finished the course it was like, Imight get out four years later... Well, Icouldn't remember what happened... Thereain't no sense taking a courseand getting out five yearslater... You need some kindof job-related thing. If I amgoing to take a course, let mework at it. Otherwise, don'teven offer the course."

Tying jobs in theprison system to vocationaltraining can motivate in-mates to receive training andcould allow them to gain mastery in theoccupational area. Some of the vocationalprograms do have direct access into indus-try areas. For example, welders from theBeto units go directly to class and beginmaking dump trucks. The Council found fartoo little of this coordination.

The Council understands that TDCJmaintains a data base of inmates' past jobsand vocational training histories. WindhamSchool officials said this "Inmate Job Man-agement System" is not being used to trackinmates' placements in jobs or used to coor-

dinate them with vocational training.

Long Range PlanIn the coordination of vocational edu-

cation between TDCJ and the Windham School

System, the Council found there was lack of

a comprehensive, long-range plan regard-ing vocational education for inmates.

First, there is no measurement of themagnitude of need for vocational educationamong inmates. Although it appears thatmost inmates can use occupational skillsdevelopment, there is no documentation ofthat need. Standardized achievement testsare adm*nistered to all inmates to determinetheir level of educational attainment, but nosimilar systematic assessment of inmates'occupational skills is undertaken.

Secondly, although Windham keepstrack of the number of par-ticipants in vocational edu-cation in a given year, nei-ther Windham nor TDCJlooks at the inmate popula-tion as a whole to deter-mine how many offendersreceive training beforethey leave prison.

Finally, there is nosystemwide analysis of rea-

sons why inmates are not receiving train-ing. Thus, it is hard to get a comprehensivepicture of who needs vocational training,who receives it and who does not, and how tobest serve their needs.

Without a more concrete assessmentof the vocational needs of the inmates, theWindham School System must determinefunding requests and course selections in-crementally instead of based on inmateneeds. In addition, TDCJ cannot justify fund-ing requests for vocational labs based on itsmandate for rehabilitation.

"If you take acourse ... you don'tget any gratification

for it. You learna trade ... and theystick you washing

someone else'sunderwear."

20

Inmate

Accountability and Follow-upCoordination between the Windham

School System and TDCJ will be strength-ened when effective evalu-ation of academic and vo-cational education for in-mates is in place. There aretwo essential componentsto F uch an evaluation em-ployment and recidivism.

First, employmentoutcome measures of voca-tional education participants can help theWindham School System evaluate the qual-ity of vocational education programs. TheWindham School System, as a school district,currently defines its goals and measuresperformance objectives in educationalterms: numbers of students enrolled inacademic and vocational courses, the aver-age hours of participation, grade-level gainson standard achievement tests, literacy testscores of participants, pass rates for the GED,and the number of vocational certificatesissued. While all of these measures areuseful, ultimately, the best evaluation of avocational education program is whether it

prepares students to get jobs in the field inwhich they are trained.

The Perkins Act requires states tomeamre employment andcompetency gains of theirvocational educationcompleters and to set stan-dards which they must striveto reach. Presently,Windham does not have amechanism to measure "realworld" employment out-

comes. They do not follow their vocationaltraining graduates after they are released todetermine whether the training received issufficient to obtain a job.

Second, recidivism rate measure-ments of vocational education participantswould enable TDCJ management to evaluatewhether vocational education is contribut-ing to its overall mandate to rehabilitateoffenders. Determining the impact voca-tional education participation has on re-cidivism can be an important tool to justifyvocational education funding levels. Costscould be easily compared to the savings fromreductions in recidivism.

Vocational graduatesare not followed afterthey are released todetermine whether

the training wassufficient to obtain a

job.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Governor Ann Richards acknowl-edged the importance of vocational educa-tion in reducing the recidivism rate in her1992 statewide vision and plan for the Stateof Texas. One of her objectives is to "reducerecidyism through substance-abuse pro-gra&s, education, and vocational training."

The Council agrees with GovernorRichards. Offenders should accept the con-sequences of their crimes, and at the sametime, they should take responsibility forreforming their lives. Investing in pro-grams that address the issues that contrib-ute to criminal activitysuch as illiteracy, unem-ployment, lack of market-able job skills, and sub-stance abuse, can teach in-mates the responsibilitythey need to become law-abiding, taxpaying citi-zens; and thus, preventsome ex-offenders from returning to crime.

For management to provide a learn-ing environment for inmates in prison isnot easy. In fact, the inmate finds it a lotharder to pursue an education and occupa-tional skills than just "doing time." One ofthe inmates with whom the Council spoke, arepeat offender, described-the prison envi-ronment in this way: "Being incarceratedconditions you to be irresponsible. Before Icame to the penitentiary, I had a home, a car,a family, a wife, and a job. I had to cut thegrass and wash my clothes and do differenttasks around the house. Well, when youcome to the penitentiary, you don't have towash your clothes, you don't have to pre-pare your meals, and really you don't haveto do too much. You don't have to worryabout maintaining a job because they give it

"WM=

to you. It tends to make you too comfortable,without responsibility, and this is uncon-sciously. When you get out of the peniten-tiary, a lot of times responsibilities will be ashock to you."

The Council supports proponents ofthe argument that vocational training has adirect impact on recidivism. It is vital thatall men and women in Texas prisons whohave little or no occupational skills receivesufficient vocational education while theyare incarcerated so that they can have aviable option to pursue a productive life.

They should have access tovocational education andshould be encouraged totake advantage of the op-portunity. Offenders whocannot compete in the la-bor market when they re-turn to society and remainunemployed are more

likely to resort to crime and consequentlyreturn to prison.

The Council and the public are con-cerned about high crime rates and suchfundamental concepts as the need to makeour streets safer. Since 95 percent of in-mates eventually return to society, the pub-lic pays a high price when there is con-tinual recycling of offenders throughprison. In fact, because it is so costly tohouse one individual for a year, a smallreduction in the recidivism rate can resultin substantial savings.

Many factors make the task of pro-viding vocational education to inmates par-ticularly difficult. The constraints of thecorrections setting, the nature of the prisonclientele, the explosive prison growth, andrequirements of the Ruiz court decision

9

A goal for Texas is to"reduce recidivismthrough substance-

abuse programs, edu-cation, and vocational

training."Governor Ann Richards

22

which have created enormous budgetaryand management challenges, all limit theeffectiveness of service delivery of correc-tions education. These hurdles make theefforts and successes of the Windham SchoolSystem especially commendable. However,the Council seeks to address the need foracompatible learning environment to sup-port vocational education objectives. But itwill require different thinking about therole of prisons and an alteration of thestructure of the prison system. The recom-mendations proposed in this report are anattempt to make improvements to this situa-tion that affects all taxpayers.

One of the chief constraints in beingable to provide the quality and level of cor-rections education recommended in thisreport is funding. As the state spends more

and more money on building and operatingprisons, the Council members can under-stand, as taxpayers themselves, the reluc-tance to fund any additional expenditures.Ine escalating prison population and thesuccession of bond proposals approved bythe voters to build new prisons attests to thewillingness of Texas citizens to address theproblem. Since academic and vocationaleducation can reduce the recidivism rate,the money spent on comprehensive pro-gramming is an investmentin lowered crimeand incarceration costs.

As former Chief Justice WarrenBurger has said, "We must accept the realitythat to confine offenders behind walls with-out trying to change them is an expensivefolly with short-term benefits a 'winningof battles while losing the war.'"

23 29

Recommendations

1. Implement a comprehensive,long-range plan that will identifythe need for vocational training, de-velop training strategies for inmatesserving both short and long sen-tences, identify strategies to enableinmates to obtain employment uponrelease, and develop methods to cre-ate a learning environment for in-mates.

Made To:Texas Department of Criminal JusticeWindham School SystemTexas Education Agency

Rationale

The Department of Criminal Justicedoes not have a sZrategic plan that identifiesvocational education needs or how thoseneeds will be met. Without this type of plan,the organization cannot meet its mission ofrehabilitation.

The Texas Education Agency shouldassist in the development of the plan byproviding information on priority occupa-tions, career guidance, and the integrationof academic and vocational education.

The planning process should includethe entire criminal justice managementteam.

2. Expand lab space to be able tooffer more vocational courses to meetthe demands.

Made To:LegislatureTexas Department of Criminal JusticeWindham School System

Inmates are currently waiting to beadmitted to vocational courses, by some re-ports, as many as 2000.

3. Establish a system of RegionalEducation Centers at designated unitswhere clusters of vocational trainingprograms would be located and wherestudents may be transferred, withpriority given to offenders who arewithin one year of release. These canbegin as pilot projects

Decision Maker Responsible:

LegislatureTexas Department of Criminal JusticeWindham School System

24

Vocational labs are placed across the47 prison units in the State. Labs are dupli-cated throughout the system. Some inmateshave access to several courses while othershave only one choice. Education is usuallya low priority at the institutions. The prisonenvironment is not conducive to learning.

The Florida Correctional EducationSchool Authority prepared a cost estimate ofestablishing a vocational education centerhousing 16 vocational disciplines. The costwas approximately $3.7 million in 1988 ( SeeAppendix C for Florida cost estimates.)

TDCJ has already set up a center witha therapeutic focus at the private prison inKyle, Texas, which could bemsed as a model.(See Appendix D.)

Recomendations

4. Design and implement a follow-up system to track the employmentand recidivism rates of vocationaleducation certificate holders and com-pare them to a control group or all ofthe non-participants.

Made To:Windham SchoolsTexas Department of Criminal JusticeTexas Education Agency

Rationale

There is no data to prove or disprovethat the Texas Department of Criminal Jus-tice is accomplishing its mission of reha-bilitation. In general, we know that educa-tion has proven beneficial in increasingemployment and reducing recidivism. Plan-ning and coordination could be greatly in-creased with the information provided by afollow-up system.

The Texas Department of CriminalJustice should work with the WindhamSchool System and the Pardons and ParolesDivision to implement this system. The TexasEducation Agency should work withWindham as they begin to explore the Un-employment Wage Record Data System.

5. Develop a more systematic pro-cess for placing inmates in voca-tional education, including interest/aptitude inventories and labor mar-ket information.

Made To:Texas Department of Criminal JusticeWindham School System

Inmates do not receive a comprehen-sive list of the vocational education coursesoffered, including: a description of thecourse, the work setting that an inmate couldapply the training to, current wage levels,and employment outlook. Their decisionmaking is based on their own knowledge ofthe work force and not on current labormarket data. There is no systematic proce-dure for matching inmate interests and ap-titudes with vocational programs.

6. Provide a more systematic pro-cess to better integrate vocationaleducation and prison jobs.

Made To:Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Placing inmates in jobs which corre-spond with their vocational training andskills would enable inmates to use the voca-tional skills they learn or practiced in the"free world." The coordination of trainingand jobs can act as both a motivation forreceiving education and a place to developmastery of a set of occupational competen-cies. TDC,j should consider bringing inprison industries that correspond with vo-cational education programs possiblythrough contracts with the private sector.

25 3i

Recommendations

Windham School System7. Allow Foundation School Fundallocations to be made to Windham toprovide vocational education to in-mates who have graduated from highschool.

Made To:Legislature

Rationale

Inmates who have not attained a 12thgrade functioning level but did graduatefrom high school have very limited optionsfor training in the prison system. Most donot have time to receive extensiveremediation needed to successfully competein a community college course. They doneed vocational training. The WindhamSchool System receives funding from theFoundation School Program which can onlybe used for individuals who have not re-ceived a high school diploma. This policylimits access to available vocational pro-grams.

8. Shift the authority to make ex-ceptions to the "one-vocationalcourse" rule downward to the level ofprincipal and regional supervisor.

Made To:Windham School System

26

All exceptions to the restrictions onadditional vocational courses are made atthe superintendent's level. Educational ad-ministrators who are closer to the studentsand more familiar with their needs, educa-tional backgrounds, and course enrollments,are more qualified to make judgments re-garding capacity to serve inmates.

3 r

Appendix ATopics for Future Study

Post-secondary vocational programs, which are administered through contracts withcommunity colleges;

Educational service delivery and effectiveness in the private prisons, which are operatedby corporations through contracts with the state;

Vocational education for youth in juvenile detention facilities;

Educational programming for the specific needs of women in correctional institutions;

Parole education component;

Apprenticeship programs in the prison system.

Appendix BFunding Categories

The funding categories Division Administration, Legal Expenses, and Payments to CountyProsecutors are grouped together as one in Chart 3;

The funding categories Contracted Capacity and Operation of Additional Capacity aregrouped together as one in Chart 3;

The funding categories Renovation, Repairs, and Minor Construction and Construction ofAdditional Capacity are grouped together as one in Chart 3;

Industrial Programs entail prison industries;

Most of the funds under Contracted Capacity are for contracted private prisons;

Construction of Additional Capacity entails new prison construction.

3428

Appendix CEstimated Costs for Correction Vocational

Technical CenterThe following are estimated costs in creating a facility dedicated to vocational technical education for theCorrectional Education School Authority. These costs indude building construction at $50.00 per squarefoot, classroom furniture and laboratory equipment, administration office furnishings and personnelsalaries:

VOCATIONAL CLASSROOMS AND LABORATORIES

40,300 square feet @ $50.00 per square foot $2,015,000.00Administration Offices 3,800 square feet $ 190,000.00

TOTAL $2,205,000.00CLASSROOM AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Student desks, chairs, carrels, file cabinetsteacher desks, storage cabinets, etc. -8 @ $9,500.00 per classroom $ 76,000.00

Laboratory 16 @ $50,000.00 per laboratory $ 800,000.00Ten station Individual Manpower Training

Stations 1 @ $8,000.00 $ 8,000.00Library 1 @ $15,000.00 $ 15,000.00Testing laboratory - 1 @ $12,000.00 $ 12,000.00Life Skills classroom 1 @ $12,000.00 $ 12,000.00

TOTAL $ 923,000.00ADMINISTRATION OFFICE FURNISHINGS

Education Program Manager $ 2,000.00Vocational Counselor $ 1,800.00Librarian $ 2,500.00Secretary $ 2,500.00Conference room $ 6,000.00

TOTAL $ 14,800.00PERSONNEL SALARIES INCLUDING FRINGE BENEFITS

Educational Program Manager (1) $ 30,000.00Vocational Counselor (1) $ 24,000.00Librarian (1) $ 25,000.00Vocational Instructors - 16 @ 25,000.00 $ 400,000.00IMTS Instructor (1) $ 25,000.00Life Skills Instructor (1) $ 25,000.00

TOTAL $ 529,000.00Vocational Classrooms and Laboratories Construction $2,205,000.00Classroom and Laboratory Equipment $ 923,000.00Administration Office Furnishings $ 14,800.00Personnel Salaries $ 529,000.00

GRAND TOTAL $3,671,800.00

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Appendix DTherapeutic Community: New Vision Chemical

Dependency Treatment FacilityDuring the Council's tours of the state prison system, several Council members had theprivilege of visiting the New Vision Chemical Dependency Treatment Facility in Kyle, Texas.The Council did not visit Kyle to make any comparisons between public and private prisons, butwas interested in the programs at the Kyle unit because they focus on the rehabilitation andreintegration missions of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Kyle unit servesinmates with chemical dependency problems. Texas discovered, like many other states, thatdrugs are an integral part of criminal behavior. The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) studiesconducted in 20 major cities in 1988 found that the percentage ofmale arrestees testing positivefor any drug ranged from 54 percent to 83 percent (National Institute of Justice, 1990). Texasdecided to combat this problem by establishing a chemical dependency treatment facility. TheWackenhut Corrections Corporation, a private prison system, bid on the proposal and receivedthe contract. The New Vision Facility opened June 28, 1989.

New Vision takes a holistic approach to chemical dependency treatment. Inmate problems thatlead to drug abuse may include thinking process, values, occupational and/or educationalfunctioning, and interpersonal skills as well as spiritual issues. Recovery encompasseslearning how to live comfortably and contentedly as responsible and productive members ofthe community. The facility concentrates on the habilitation of residents by stressing basiceducational, vocational and pre-employment training, life skills training and chemicaldependency treatment. "Habilitation" means intervening with treatment so that inmates canleave in better shape than when they arrived, where rehabilitation means to "restore to aformer state."

The New Vision facility houses a small population, only one-fourth to one-fifth the size of theunits in TDCJ, which makes institutional maintenance requirements less onerous. Neverthe-less, the inmates and staff with whom the Council spoke indicated many other aspects that makethe habilitation function work. Warden John Bonner is strongly committed to this philosophyand has promoted it throughout the staff. All employees must attend an orientation andongoing workshops. Inmates too, who are called residents, must share this vision. Only peoplewho volunteer to participate in the drug treatment program can stay at the facility. They mustsign a contract agreeing to treatment. Any resident who lacks this commitment is transferred.The residents reported that one of the most gratifying aspects of being on the unit was beingtreated with respect. The facility is not "soft" on criminals, as Warden Bonner is quick to pointout. He emphasized that treatment is harder than just "doing time."

The Kyle unit offers adult basic education, GED courses, a computerized learning systemsnetwork, life skills, decision-making skills, street law, college courses and five vocationalprograms. Vocational offerings include Computer System Configuration Technician, Spread-sheet Technology, Basic Office Automation Technology, Desktop Publishing and Word Process-ing, and Horticulture/Landscaping. Vocational courses are provided by the MicrocomputerTechnology Institute, a private vocational school. Funding is provided by Pell Grants and thefunds provided to the Wackenhut Corporation for education. Inmates are allowed to take asmany vocational courses as they can fit into their schedule. Most inmates receive four hoursof academic and/or vocational programs daily. All teachers are certified.

An Employment Advisory Board, consisting of leaders from business and industry, assists andoffers input into the design and development of vocational skills and courses. Kyle held anEmployment Fair in October 1992 to allow corporations, companies and agencies to meet

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prospective employees within the institutional setting. Inmates learn Joh acquisition skills toassist them in the transition from incarceration to free-world placement.

The Council was pleased to see the programs at the Kyle unit because they believe a regionaleducation center, with a holistic focus, could be very successful at habilitating and reintegrat-ing inmates. TDCJ already has experience with this type of method, with fewer vocationalofferings.

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Texas Council on Vocational EducationP.O. Box 1886

Ausin, TX 78767(512) 4635490

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