Evaluation of a Local Jail Training Program in Sacramento County, California, 1994-1995

This data collection represents a process and outcome
evaluation of the Office Technology Training program at the Rio
Consumnes Correctional Center (RCCC) in Sacramento County. RCCC is a
county jail for prisoners sentenced up to one year in custody. The
Office Technology Training program, one of several training programs
for inmates at RCCC, was designed to familiarize students with the use
of computers in an office or business setting and to provide specific
instruction in several types of common office software, including word
processing and desktop publishing. The purpose of the evaluation
research was (1) to refine the process of determining what types of
training should be funded and (2) to establish research-based
evaluation protocols for local jail inmate training programs. Data
were collected on participants in the Office Technology Training
class, on a control group that matched the participants in terms of
demographic characteristics, and on a smaller group of nonparticipants
who had signed up for the training program but did not
participate. Part 1, Treatment and Control Group Data, contains
administrative and survey data on both the trainees and the control
group, while Part 2, Nonparticipant Data, includes administrative and
survey data on the inmates who registered for the training but did not
participate in the program. The survey consisted of an evaluation form
filled out by inmates who participated in the training at RCCC,
indicating their prior experience with computers and software,
evaluating the training they received, and assessing whether the new
skills would be helpful in securing employment upon their
release. Administrative records on all respondents (trainees, control,
and nonparticipants) were collected from four sources: a supplemental
form on inmates' employment, a probation report that provided personal
and criminal histories, a risk assessment form, and a follow-up form
completed by the probation officer within one week of the six-month
anniversary of the inmate's release from RCCC. Variables from the
supplemental form included employment type and wages. The probation
report covered employment, education, military history, marital
status, substance abuse, domestic violence, gang behavior, psychiatric
history, child abuse history, and criminal histories as juveniles and
adults. Data on attitude, alcohol and drug problems, number of felony
convictions, probation periods and violations, types of offenses, and
history of institutionalization were taken from the risk assessment
form. The follow-up form gathered information on release, disciplinary
actions at RCCC, opinions about the Office Technology Training
program, substance abuse, new arrests and convictions, gang behavior,
job training, employment type, hourly wage, job satisfaction, and use
of computers on the job. Additional administrative records data on
trainees and nonparticipants were gathered from the class registration
form, including gender, education, birth date, ethnicity, language
spoken, occupation, Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) scores, and
class assignments. Other data on trainees came from an evaluation
form filled out by the students' instructor upon their completion of the
Office Technology class. It provided information on the behavior,
attitude, and skills of the students.

Tags: computer-literacy, correctional-education, correctional-facilities, ex-offender-employment, inmate-programs, jail-inmates, outcome-evaluation, probation, process-evaluation, training
Organization: Department of Justice