7. California Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Arts-in-Corrections Research Synopsis on Parole Outcomes for Participants Paroled December 1980-February 1987. Santa Cruz, CA: William James Association Prison Arts Program.
Author Affiliations: California Department of Corrections
Artforms: Ceramics, fine crafts, guitar-making, literary arts, media arts, music, painting, performing arts, printmaking, sculpting, visual arts, writing
Program: Arts-in-Corrections (AIC)
Program Description: AIC was one of the first prisons arts program in the nation, operating from 1977-1981 under the auspices of the William James Association, and from 1981 to 2003 under the California Department of Corrections. Individual and group instruction was offered in the visual, performing, literary and media arts and fine craft disciplines in California correctional institutions. The California Department of Corrections resumed funding of the program in 2014.
Program (Study) Location: Adult correctional institutions, California
Study Published: 1987
Participant Type: Adult inmates who participated in at least one class per week for six months
Sample Size: 177
Data Type: Quantitative: Review of parole data
Evaluation Focus: Parole outcomes, recidivism
Summary of Impact: The research shows that as time since release increased, the difference between the percentage of favorable outcomes for AIC and all CDC parolees becomes greater.
● Six months after parole AIC participants showed an 88% rate of favorable outcomes (no parole difficulties, technical parolee infractions, misdemeanor convictions only) versus 72.5% for all releases Specifically, six months after parole, Arts-in-Corrections participants show an 88% rate of favorable outcome as compared to the 72.25% rate for all CDC releases (p. 1).
● Over a one-year period, the AIC participant favorable outcome was 74.2% versus 49.6% for all parolees (p. 1).
● Two years after release, 69.2% of AIC parolees retained their favorable status (versus 42% for all releases) (p. 1).
● After six months, AIC favorable rate was 15.7 percentage points higher than rate for all CDC releases. Two years after release, the difference climbed to 27.2 percentage points (p. 1).
KEYWORDS: adult, Arts-in-Corrections , ceramics, fine crafts, guitar-making, literary arts, media arts, music, painting, parole, performing arts, printmaking, recidivism, sculpting, visual arts, writing
