Access to and Perceived Quality of Programs in Guatemalan prisons: A Survey of Incarcerated Individuals

• In Event: The Inmate Perceptions of Procedural Justice and Correctional Standards of Care Survey: Results from Guatemala

Abstract

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners emphasize the importance of providing incarcerated individuals with access to correctional programming, with the ultimate goal of easing their reintegration into society, as well as reducing their risk of recidivism once back in the community. While in recent years Guatemala, and other countries in the region, have embraced more rehabilitative correctional models, less is known about the extent to which incarcerated individuals have access to in-prison programs and activities. The present study relies on survey data (N = 2,590) to ascertain participation in, and perceived quality of, correctional programs being offered across 20 Guatemalan prisons. Results show that 75% of respondents indicate participating in some type of rehabilitative programming, with the most common types being job training (55%), education (44%), and psychosocial programming (34%). While most respondents appeared satisfied with the quality of the programs, program participation varied across prison, progressive system phase, and gender. The current study adds to our knowledge of access to programming in prisons across Central America, as more and more countries move towards rehabilitative-focused correctional strategies.

Authors

• Irina Fanarraga, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center

• Debi Koetzle, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Jeff Mellow, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Veronica Michel, John Jay College of Criminal Justice