Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction IPP - Education

"Skills Acquisition for Successfully Reentering Society"

In an effort to address the educational rehabilitative needs of both male and female inmates in the Intensive Program Prison (IPP), the following plan for the "Skills Acquisition for Successfully Reentering Society" academic and vocational program has been adopted. This plan is compatible with Reentry goals and is based on research that shows that educational program access, especially in the area of vocational training, contributes to a reduced recidivism rate because employment opportunities are greater when specific job skills are acquired close to release. These job skills - in conjunction with employability skills - make the inmate more marketable than an inmate who has acquired no job skills while incarcerated. Therefore, participation in an ABE/GED program and in a vocational program is a requirement for all participants. A second, but equally important, effort is to reduce the time spent in prison so as to reduce the financial burden that the taxpayers of the State of Ohio now shoulder. The duration of the IPP program is ninety days in prison, then a period of time outside of prison under post-release control supervision. The program is designed for convicted felons who would serve five years or less if the IPP were not available to them. A continuation of the educational component upon release is required in order to ensure that the ex-offender continues to gain the skills necessary to stay out of prison. Additionally, the ex-offender is required to obtain and retain full-time employment/education during the period of supervision, thus reducing the financial burden on the citizens of Ohio. North Central Correctional Institution (NCCI) located in Marion County, the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) located in Union County and the Northeast Pre-Release Center (NePRC) located in Cuyahoga County are the designated sites for the IPP programs. All were selected because they have Level 2 and Level 1 inmates, are conveniently located, and have adequate staffing and physical space, which are necessary for the success of this initiative.

Goals

• To reduce recidivism by providing the opportunity for offenders to acquire the academic and vocational skills needed to obtain and retain a job.
• To reduce the financial burden of long-term incarceration on the citizens of Ohio.

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Core Curricula Components

The education IPP projects will offer programming in five primary and secondary curricula with the following components:

Concentrated Academic Training:

• Adult Basic and Literacy Education Training (ABLE) (reading levels 0-6.0)
• General Education Development Preparatory Instruction (reading levels 6.1-9.0)
• General Education Development Instruction (reading levels 9.1 and above)

Intensive Vocational Skills Enhancement:

• Copper and Fiber Optic Cabling Instruction (C-Tech)
• Administrative Office Technology (for basic computer skills acquisition)
• Possibly, A+ Certification Instruction (for advanced students with requisite basic computer skills)

Character Education Program:

• Positive Solutions - A cognitive skills development for values clarification, including anger management and other necessary skills
• Designs For Progress - An instructional method designed to teach appropriate decision-making training

Reentry Skills Acquisition:

• Victim Awareness
• Life Coping Skills
• Career Explorations
• Job Readiness
• Parenting and Family Values

Community Service:

• Service Learning Workshop
• Community Service Projects

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Eligibility Requirements

The requirements for inmates entering the IPP are as follows:

• Level 1 or Level 2 offenders
• Preference will be given to offenders under 22 years of age
• Have no high school diploma or GED
• Take intensive education programs together as a group (housing as a group is not required)

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Locations

North Central Correctional Institution in Marion (NCCI), the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville (ORW) and the Northeast Pre-Release Center in Cleveland are selected as sites for the IPP because they are conveniently located, have Level 2 and Level 1 inmates, have adequate staffing to accommodate the IPP, and have the necessary physical space. It is estimated that each program cohort at North Central Correctional Institution will consist of ninety inmates, and each program cohort at the Ohio Reformatory for Women and the Northeast Pre-Release Center will consist of twenty inmates.

Program Duration

The program duration is ninety days of intensive programming inside NCCI, NEPRC or ORW and a period of post-release control under supervision outside of prison. Participants are referred to Community Justice ABLE centers or to other ABLE centers if the Community Justice ABLE center is not available to them upon release. Ex-offenders are mandated to participate in programming determined by the ABLE center. Ex-offenders are also required to obtain and keep a job during this supervision period and to perform community service work as assigned. In the institution, inmates will be involved in programming activities for a minimum of thirty-six hours per week.

Staffing

Current staffing is adequate to meet the needs of the IPP. Daily Schedule (See Attached) Evaluation of Participants
Participants must achieve a 70% score overall as noted on the Participant Evaluation Form. Evaluations are formal - A+ (if offered) and C-Tech certifications, CASAS test, GED certification - and informal - teacher designed. Instructor and Administrator observations are conducted to ensure that mandates are being met. Portfolio assessments are provided at the end of the ninety-day prison program and are sent to the ABLE centers for continuation of services.

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