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Experimental Assessment of the Effect of Vocational Training On Youthful Property Offenders

Author

Listed:
  • Pamela K. Lattimore

    (National Institute of Justice)

  • Ann Dryden Witte

    (Wellesley College)

  • Joanna R. Baker

    (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University)

Abstract

In this article, we report results that suggest that carefully integrated and implemented vocational training and reentry programs for youthful property offenders can reduce the rate at which such individuals are arrested after release. This result is important since most evaluations of programs for such offenders show no significant effects. The question has been "Why have programs rarely been shown to have significant effects on the behavior of offenders?" Our results suggest that the major reasons may be that programs evaluated to date have been weak and implementation has been poor. Even with substantial backing from correctional management only 16% of the experimental group participated in all aspects of the Vocational Delivery System (VDS). Members of the experimental group were most likely to participate in early aspects of the VDS (e.g., a three-week evaluation of vocational interests and aptitudes) than in later elements (e.g., work with the Employment Security Commission to find a job). Even with relatively weak implementation, the experimental group subjects were significantly less likely to be arrested than were control group subjects.

Suggested Citation

  • Pamela K. Lattimore & Ann Dryden Witte & Joanna R. Baker, 1990. "Experimental Assessment of the Effect of Vocational Training On Youthful Property Offenders," Evaluation Review, , vol. 14(2), pages 115-133, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:14:y:1990:i:2:p:115-133
    DOI: 10.1177/0193841X9001400201
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gary S. Becker, 1974. "Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach," NBER Chapters, in: Essays in the Economics of Crime and Punishment, pages 1-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Ann Dryden Witte, 1980. "Estimating the Economic Model of Crime With Individual Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 94(1), pages 57-84.
    3. Block, M K & Heineke, J M, 1975. "A Labor Theoretic Analysis of the Criminal Choice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(3), pages 314-325, June.
    4. Ehrlich, Isaac, 1973. "Participation in Illegitimate Activities: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 521-565, May-June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francisca Gomez & Nicolas Grau, 2017. "The Impact of Prison Labor Programs on Recidivism: The Case of Chile," Working Papers wp440, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    2. Kenneth Avio, 1998. "The Economics of Prisons," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 143-175, September.

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