The More, the Merrier? Dosage Effects of Prison Educational Programming on Recidivism.

• In Event: Voting Rights and Transiency in Prisons and Jails

Abstract

Educational level has a history of being regarded as a protective factor against criminal offending (Hirschi, 1969). Additionally, meaningful employment has been connected to lower likelihoods of reoffending (Sampson & Laub, 1993; Uggen, 2000). Although there have been some examinations into the effect of secondary educational programming on recidivism, many focus on either program participation or completion (e.g., Aos et al. 2006; Davis et al., 2013). This research seeks to examine dosage effects of secondary programming on recidivism. Using a sample of 2017-2018 releasees from Texas state prisons, I examine the effect of number of hours spent in secondary education programming on recidivism at different hour thresholds. Preliminary findings suggest that there are diminishing returns of secondary education programming on recidivism after a certain number of hours participated. Findings of this research have implications on the best practices of prison rehabilitation programs on recidivism postrelease.

Author

• Robert Geibler, University of Texas at Dallas