Federal Prisoner Survey Shows Ways to Reduce Recidivism

From Families Against Mandatory Minimums (http://famm.org/):

Today we released the findings of the first-ever independent survey of federal prisoners in a report, “Using Time to Reduce Crime: Federal Prisoner Survey Results Show Ways to Reduce Recidivism.” Last summer, we sent a series of questionnaires to the more than 39,000 prisoners with whom we are in touch via email. More than 2,000 people responded to questions about the type and quality of educational and vocational training programs available in their facilities, as well as substance abuse and mental health treatment.

Roughly 94 percent of federal prisoners are going to go home one day. If they leave smarter, sober, and job-ready, they will be much more likely to thrive—and our country will be safer and more prosperous. The kind of reform need for such an achievement can only come with information from all sides of the equation—especially information from prisoners themselves. It’s this kind of access that FAMM has always worked hard to maintain.

And unfortunately, our analysis of all the responses we received confirms what we’ve heard from prisoners over the years: Too many prisoners are not getting access to the programs that have been proven to reduce recidivism. President Trump’s new budget proposal, which slashes the Bureau of Prisons’ staff and corrections officers, will only make the problem worse.

Key findings from the report include:

• Access to quality education is scarce.
• Most jobs afforded to inmates are “make work” jobs to service the prisons, such as cleaning bathrooms and living spaces or dining hall services.
• Not all inmates who need substance abuse or mental health services are getting help.
• Most prisoners are housed too far away from their families to maintain connections.

It’s our hope that the data we’ve gathered—including 13 targeted recommendations for improvement, especially in terms of reducing recidivism—will provide a substantive guide for policymakers looking at ways to improve prisoners’ chances of success once they reintegrate into society.