OFFENDER EDUCATION MODEL

Social Acceptability of Creating a Community Based Offender Education Model

Social Acceptability of Creating a Community Based Offender Education Model

Introduction

Correctional programs target criminal behaviour (e.g. substance abuse). Mental health services are aimed at symptom reduction and well being (e.g. personality disorders, schizophrenia). Education programs prepare offenders to access improved employment opportunities upon release. Employment and Employability programs are interventions that directly focus on increased job readiness of offenders. Social programs (e.g. community integration program, leisure program) assist and reinforce successful reintegration of offenders as productive members of society. Social programs allow women to demonstrate their wellbeing and support the transfer and generalisation of skills learned in correctional programs (Patel & Knapp 1998 79).

One of the above programs includes higher education of offenders and the social acceptability of doing this the current period of recession.

Offenders Learning

Incarceration and supervision are not sufficient to change long-term behavior of many offenders and make them citizens productive and law abiding. To help offenders reintegrate in the community safely, give education to them, find jobs and ask the community to participate in establishing correction programs that allow for positive changes in behaviour. This essay gives an overview of social acceptance of educational models for the offenders plus their participation in this recession period (Feinstein 2002 35).

It is important that both offenders in custody and those in the community can access higher education and training opportunities that will improve their social and economic well-being and reduce the risk of re-offending. Our response is underpinned by the following factors (Rea 2003 92):

Offender learning must provide value for money Education and training must meet the needs of individual learners

Colleges should be given the freedom to build curriculum which meets learners' needs

Performance measurement for providers of education and training should focus on employability

Ways for Providing Education to Offender

Within the community, many colleges, universities, organizations, and general public educate offenders through provision financed by mainstream funding. They also established communities for helping the offenders. However, it is difficult to determine the precise levels of achievement or enjoyment by offenders as an offender may not declare his or her status to the college and universities. The stigma associated with crime will always discourage offenders from declaring their status. In order to alleviate this problem, it is imperative that offenders receive effective information, advice and guidance from the society to ensure that they are aware of the free provision that is available to them (Carlin & Cox 1998 135).

Although we cannot provide an overall figure of the level of achievement of offenders in the community, evidence provided by individual colleges and universities shows that offenders achieve well. For example, Petroc in Devon work with the Barnstaple Poverty Action Group and Barnstaple Probation Services. Through this programme, offenders under the supervision on probation prepare meals for the homeless in Barnstaple. The College uses SFA funding to provide a chef lecturer who manages the kitchen and the food production while delivering National Vocational Qualification Levels 1 and 2 Food ...