Hard Time or Idle Time: Factors Affecting Inmate Choices between Participation in Prison Work and Education Programs

Abstract

Data were gathered from inmates at three midwestern prisons to discover factors associated with preferences between work and education programs. Areas of study concentrated on ranking the importance between type of job worked and amount of pay received and ranking the importance of working a prison job against attending post–high school education classes, as well as a number of other work and educationrelated choices. The independent variables gender, race, age, and offense type revealed a number of significant differences regarding the choice of a particular activity. In addition, qualitative data fromthe administration revealed issues that highlight the need for further research in this area.