Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
David Boggs
Committee Member
Donald Busche
Committee Member
Dep Nellis
Keywords
academic standards committee, adult education, associate of general studies, College, collaboration, Community College of Southern Nevada, community college, course of study, curriculum, department of prison education, educational opportunities, evaluation, facilities of incarceration, formative committee, higher education, implementation, implementation plan, inmate students, instructors, interactive learning, lecture method, life skills, literature review, Nevada Department of Training and Rehabilitation, Nevada Department of Unemployment, pedagogy, prison education, program development, program evaluation, rehabilitation, reintegration, released inmates, seamless transition, social services, Southern Nevada, street readiness, student support, summative committee, transition curriculum, transition program, workforce development
Abstract
The prison education program at the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) has been in place since 1988. The Department of Prison Education offers a five-semester Associate of General Studies at facilities of incarceration in Southern Nevada. The purpose of the project was to develop a seamless transition program from a prison-based course of study to a course of study outside of the prison for community college inmate students and an implementation and evaluation plan. The seamless transition program would provide students with an opportunity to continue their higher education when released from prison.
There were six research questions in this study: First, "What support do released inmate students need in making a transition from a prison education plan to a program of higher education outside the confines of prison? u Second, "What is the appropriate curriculum for a transition program for inmate students enrolled in community college courses? Third, "What are the appropriate qualifications for instructors in transition programs for inmate students? Fourth, "What pedagogical principles of adult prison education should be reflected in transition programs for inmate students? Fifth, How should transition programs designed for community college inmate students be implemented? Sixth, "How should community college transition programs designed for inmate students be evaluated?
The development problem-solving methodology procedures that were used in this study include review of the literature; meetings with instructors who currently teach in the CCSN prison education program to determine the needs of prospective inmate students; obtaining, reviewing, and analyzing transition course outlines from facilities of incarceration to aid in the writing of the curriculum; establishing a formative committee to assist in the development of criteria for the curriculum and the implementation and evaluation plan and its various components; establishing a summative committee to review, discuss, and validate the criteria; development of the program curriculum; review and validation of the final product by the summative committee; and submission of the program curriculum to the Academic Standards Committee at CCSN.
The results of the study indicated that inmate students needed support when released from prison and that being involved in an educational program was a positive factor that contributed to their successful reintegration into society. The program curriculum needed to provide a balance between offering needed social services and providing a path to an institution of higher education. The lecture method with interactive and relevant class materials is the primary pedagogical approach that should be used in the program, and the implementation and evaluation plans should be participative and not only adhere to college procedures. Seventy-two out of the eighty-one institutions contacted (88. 8% response) responded to a request for information about whether or not they offer a transition program. Only ten (13. 8%) of the institutions indicated offering a transition program that stressed higher educational opportunities.
It was concluded that a curriculum for a seamless transition program for inmate students should include the topics presented in Life Skills and Street Readiness programs. It was also concluded that the program curriculum should provide both social service information and information directly pertaining to the educational opportunities. It was further concluded that the implementation and evaluation plans should be a collaborative effort between the College and selected service agencies, such as the Nevada Department of Unemployment and the Nevada Department of Training and Rehabilitation, and comply with CCSN's procedures. Finally, it was recommended that the course be offered by fall, 2002 and the results of the study be disseminated to the prison and college officials.