Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Work release programs are an integral part of the current correctional system in United States. Proponents of these programs suggest that work release offers multiple benefits to both offender and community at little to no cost. To date, however, very few studies have been conducted on their actual effectiveness. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by offering an analysis of a current work release program. With data collected from the Vigo County, Indiana Community Corrections Program, 458 adult work release participants from 1996-2010 were selected for the study. Using both official records and the Indiana public records web application (Doxpop), participants of the work release program were checked for program completion status as well as post-program recidivism. A binary logistic regression was run for both program completion as well as successful post-program recidivism. Results reveal that 76% of participants exited the program successfully. The following variables were found to be significantly effective in predicting program success for work release participants: age, employment status, and the agency of referral. Only one variable, the number of prior offenses, was shown to be a significant predictor of successful post-program recidivism.
Recommended Citation
Mackey, William J., "Vigo County, Indiana Community Corrections Work Release: A Four-Year Study" (2012). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1509.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/1509