Parolee perspectives on prison education and work programmes *

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a research project which sought to document the extent to which prison education and gaol work experience were found to be useful by a sample of NSW parolees. The results indicate that from the parolees perspective educational courses in prison have some positive effects in terms of skills, self-esteem and confidence. However, no marked changes were found in the employment trends of parolees pre- and post-gaol Work release provided some parolees with direct access to employment and in general was thought to help with readjustment to society. Overall, the results indicate that there is a gap between the training a prisoner receives in gaol and the help required upon release.