National Institute of Justice Program Focus: The Orange County, Florida Jail211 Educational and Vocational Programs

摘要

Because many inmates have poor reading skills, few job skills, and substance211u001eabuse problems, they frequently cannot find jobs after they are released or can 211u001efind only low-paid or temporary work. Partly as a result, they often return to a 211u001elife of crime. Conversely, studies have found that inmates who improve their 211u001eeducational level during confinement are less likely to re-offend than are 211u001einmates who do not. State and Federal prisons typically provide educational 211u001ecourses similar to those included in these studies. By contrast, few jails offer 211u001ethese programs, primarily because they lack the money and suitable classroom 211u001espace, but also because most jail inmates remain locked up only briefly. The 211u001eOrange County, Florida, Corrections Division overcame these barriers to providing