Research SummaryParticipants and nonparticipants in Ohio prison education programs were compared in rates of misconduct during incarceration and prison returns after release. Propensity score matching was used to compare male nonparticipants with males who completed or started but did not complete GEDs, vocational training/apprenticeship programs, and college classes (each education group examined separately). More than 92,000 males were eligible for study, reflecting all men admitted to Ohio prisons between January 2008 and June 2012. Inmates who earned GEDs or completed college classes were less likely than nonprogram inmates to engage in violence during incarceration, whereas completing vocational training and apprenticeship programs had no such effect on any type of inmate misconduct examined. On the other hand, completing vocational training and apprenticeship programs, GEDs, or college classes at any point during incarceration coincided with lower rates of prison returns within 3 years after release. None of these benefits accrued to inmates who started but did not complete these programs/classes.Policy ImplicationsThe provision of GED programs and college classes to prison inmates may help to reduce levels of violence during incarceration, thus, providing safer facility environments for both inmates and staff. GED programs, college classes, and vocational training/apprenticeship programs may also help offenders to refrain from returning to prison, perhaps by providing knowledge and skills that enhance their employability in desirable jobs after release. The absence of comparable findings for inmates who started but did not complete these activities, however, underscores the importance of completion, providing incentive for state policy makers and correctional administrators to encourage inmates to complete these pursuits.

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The criminogenic needs of prison inmates are assessed to help guide their treatment plans, but inmates are often not matched to corresponding services to address those needs. A sample of 69,129 inmates in a state prison system was examined to identify those who completed treatment programs matched to their assessed needs and those who did not complete such programs. The odds of returning to prison within 3 years after release were compared for both groups. Of the eight need-specific domains examined, significant differences in the odds of prison returns were found for individuals identified with a Community Functioning need and for those identified with a Personal/Emotional need. That is, persons with either of these needs who completed suitable programs were less likely to return to prison compared with those with the same needs who did not complete suitable programs. Implications for future research are discussed.

Compared with criminal sentencing decisions, limited research has assessed the impact of an imagery of a “dangerous” offender on the interrelationships between race/ethnicity and juvenile court outcomes. Applying base premises from Steen, Engen, and Gainey’s perspective concerning the dangerous drug offender stereotype, the present study examines the case outcomes of White, Black, and Hispanic youth charged with drug offenses and who match the stereotype of a “dangerous drug offender” (male drug seller with a prior record). Findings suggest that youth who fully matched the stereotype were more likely to receive harsher dispositions compared with those who have some or none of the characteristics, but the magnitude of these effects for Whites did not exceed those of Blacks and Hispanics.

Juvenile risk and needs assessments (JRNAs) have been the focus of extensive research in the academic literature. Prior studies have primarily focused on the risk-recidivism relationship and establishing predictive validity with juvenile populations. Less investigated is the use of risk and need assessment in practice, including how such tools are used to inform decision-making. This study uses record data encompassing 3,034 youth from a multi-state study to examine dispositional and treatment decisions associated with the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS). Specifically, mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate how current practices align with underlying logic and theory regarding the role of assessments in juvenile justice. Findings reveal varied and complex relationships between assessment scores, case decisions, and recidivism. While risk was generally associated with recidivism, our results suggest juvenile risk and need assessments are inconsistently used to inform case management and placement decisions. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.