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CURRENT TRENDS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION TERMINAL ISLAND (CA)

NCJ Number
67181
Author(s)
G J ZELLER
Date Published
1977
Length
47 pages
Annotation
THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT TERMINAL ISLAND (FCI-TI) IS TRACED FROM 1973 TO 1977 TO COMPARE WITH SIMILAR PROGRAMS AND TO GAUGE THE EFFECT OF NEW FUNDING IN 1974.
Abstract
IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE PRE-FUNDING STATUS OF FCI-TI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, A COMPARISON OF ITS COURSE OFFERINGS WAS MADE WITH THOSE AT THE FOLLOWING SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE WESTERN DIVISION OF THE BUREAU OF PRISONS AT THE CLOSE OF THE 1975 FISCAL YEAR: THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA AND ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO. BOTH ARE PROXIMATE TO MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS OFFERING UNLIMITED SCHOOL AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BUT NEITHER WAS THE RECIPIENT OF ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. IT IS CONCLUDED FROM THE COMPARISON THAT FCI-TI HAD NOT DEVELOPED NOR OFFERED A VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDING THE CHOICES NEEDED BY ITS INMATES AS STATED IN THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEMS OFFICIAL POLICY, NOR WERE COMMUNITY RESOURCES BEING UTILIZED TO ACCREDIT THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE ANALYSIS OF FCI-TI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION BEFORE ITS RECEIPT OF FEDERAL 'PROJECT ONE MILLION' FUNDS IN 1974 PRESENTS A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FCI-TI FACILITY, A VOCATIONAL EDUCATION STUDENT PROFILE, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S ORGANIZATION, AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COURSE OFFERINGS FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN 1973. NEXT IS PROVIDED A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ONE MILLION FUNDING FROM THE BUREAU OF PRISONS AND THE PROGRAMS INITIATED FOR INCREASED OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF AN INSTITUTIONALIZED POPULATION LARGELY URBAN IN BACKGROUND AND CULTURE. LASTLY, AN ANALYSIS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT FCI-TI IN OCTOBER 1977, THREE YEARS AFTER THE START OF PROJECT ONE MILLION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, SHOWS THAT THE INSTITUTION HAD FIVE ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CLASSES. THESE CLASSES WERE DRAFTING, WELDING, IBM KEYPUNCH, BUSINESS EDUCATION, AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. ONE CLASS, GROCERY CHECKING, ALTHOUGH SUCCESSFUL, WAS TRANSFERRED TO AN INSTITUTION WITH A GREATER NEED FOR THE COURSE. THREE NEW PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AND APPROVED: MACHINE SHOP, BRICK MASONRY, AND REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING. A COURSE IN RELATED TECHNICAL MATHEMATICS HAS ALSO BEEN PROPOSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, WITH ADEQUATE FUNDING, A COMPREHENSIVE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED THAT MET THE INMATE NEED TO ACQUIRE OR IMPROVE MARKETABLE SKILLS. REFERENCES AND APPENDIXES ARE PROVIDED.