PRISONERS who took vocation and education training programs in jail were twice as likely to remain offence-free five years after release when compared with inmates who did not.
This is among the findings of a recent joint study by criminologists from five Australian universities that surveyed data from correctional services institutions in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.
The study, titled Australian Prison Vocational Education and Training and Returns to Custody Among Male and Female Ex-prisoners, looked at data of more than 10,000 prisoners released in 2010/11 and compared it to data in 2016 showing which of these prisoners were back in prison.
UNSW criminology senior lecturer Dr Jesse Cale said he and his colleagues were able to determine who among the sample had taken VET training and who had not, enabling them to see whether there was any correlation with staying out of jail.
“At the end of the day, engaging in vocational training in prison reduces the risk of returning to custody or reoffending over at least a five-year follow-up period,” Dr Cale said.
But he warned against interpreting the study as showing a causal relationship between engaging in vocational programs and a lower rate of recidivism.
“While overall vocational education training reduces the likelihood of the return to custody, the type and appropriateness of the training has a big impact on the result,” he said.
This ties in with a second conclusion of the study which shows a “one-size-fits-all” approach to VET programs is not effective. Rather, prisoners need to be assessed and recommended to programs individually, based on their needs, interests, and strengths.
“Employment needs to be considered against the needs of the individual and the strengths of the individual, just like other behavioural change programs,” Dr Cale said.”So that might be one reason why it’s effective for some people and maybe not others.”Contributing to the variation in results was the fact some states had greater program resources than others.
However, despite the correlation between VET programs and lower recidivism rates, the authors found preparation for employment within the prison walls was no guarantee a prisoner would find work on the outside.
“People can do all the VET programs in the world in prison, but if there’s no work when they get out … employment is a big factor related to whether people offend in the first place or reoffend when they are released from custody,” Dr Cale said.
“There has to be consideration of the external job market when you are running these programs – that training they receive in prison is actually appropriate to the job market they walk into.”
The study looked at a sample of 10,834 prisoners who were released in 2010/11, of whom 1063 were women.
