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Choosing Life Skills: A Guide for Selecting Life Skills Programs for Adult and Juvenile Offenders

NCJ Number
176161
Author(s)
O D Coffey; J F Knoll
Date Published
1998
Length
77 pages
Annotation
The U.S. Department of Education sponsored a discretionary grant program designed to reduce recidivism through the development and improvement of life skills necessary for integrating offenders into the community, and 19 separate grants were awarded in 1993.
Abstract
Each of the 19 grantees began by identifying existing life skills curriculums and materials to be used in their programs. The concept of life skills was defined in terms of outcomes, the purpose of life skills programs being to help persons live more successfully and function better in their multiple roles as members of the family, the community, and the labor force. Life skills programs were defined to consist of multiple components drawn primarily from four areas: employment, practical living skills, personal growth and management, and personal skills. Based on the experiences of the 19 grantees, the first part of the manual provides guidelines on the process of searching for, evaluating, and making a final selection of products for life skills programs in adult and juvenile correctional settings. The second part describes several commercial products available, while the third part contains a quick reference chart of products.