Abstract of

Women and Recidivism: Does Receiving a College Education While Incarcerated Reduce the Number of Women Who Recidivate?

by

Alexis Molly Slayter

Fall 2004

California State University, Sacramento

Statement of the Problem

Current rates of recidivism for females in California are at 42.78 percent after two years (CDC, 2004). This figure could be decreased if prison programs were more effective by providing education for life after incarceration. At present, many scholars assert that such preparation has not been a focus of the correctional system, especially not for women. "The education of incarcerated females has not received the attention it deserves from either correctional educators or prison administrative staff" (Miller, 2001).

Sources of Data

I have developed a survey to be distributed to prisoners that are still incarcerated or have been paroled and are now involved in a community support group. I also have developed questions for interviewing. The participants I use for the survey and interviews are from groups based out of San Francisco and Fresno and from online at www.prisontalk.com.

A survey is important in order to gain the belief of the women who will be affected by receiving, or not receiving, training and education while incarcerated. In addition to the surveys I have interviewed women in order to glean information from those who have the experience I need for my research.

I have synthesized prior research on female inmates. I looked at what skills they have acquired with current programs, what kind of programs have been tried in the past to assist with skill building, and what independent programs exist to assist women who have already been released to succeed in their community.

Conclusions Reached

The result of the study seems to indicate that services, which include education, offered to women while in prison, can assist them in being successful in society when released. Both the written surveys and interviews focused on the need for the women in prison to receive drug and alcohol rehabilitation and life skills training that includes parenting classes, money management and other general life skills such as how to fill out a job application or how to interview.