Effects of Technology-Based Education Recidivism in North Carolina Department of Adult Correction

Introduction

Recidivism is the most telling metric of a criminal justice system’s success or failure. The recidivism rate of a criminal justice system in a state is indicated by the tendency of rehabilitated offenders to end back in prison for similar or different crimes. Education stands out as a beacon of hope in modern society’s strife for criminal justice reforms and reducing crime and incarceration rates. In light of ongoing digitalization and technological trends, technology-backed education offers more opportunities and increases optimism in battling the recidivism that plagues the North Carolina Department of Ault Correction.

The usefulness of this research topic lies in its role in alleviating the burden of correctional services in North Carolina and in creating a reformed crime-free society. An insurmountable body of research supports education for inmates, indicating that educated individuals are less likely to end up in correctional facilities than uneducated individuals (Bagaric et al., 2021; Sas et al., 2021; Magee, 2021). Similarly, offenders who receive professional or vacation training during their sentences are less likely to recidivate than those who do not receive any form of education. According to Steurer (2020), employing technology in in-mate education creates enthusiasm among inmates, who become more receptive to education programs. Offenders who lack education often find themselves in a cycle of arrests and releases, overburdening the criminal justice system and society. In light of the dire necessity to curb crime and incarceration rates, this research aims to investigate the effects of technology-backed education in countering recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Statement of the Problem

The United States criminal justice system has made notable progress in reducing the number of incarcerations and increases releases from state and federal correctional centers. Even with the number of released individuals surpassing 700 000 yearly, more than 40 percent of the released end up reincarcerated for similar or different offenses (Davis, 2019). The recidivism problem is escalated by several problems; one key contributor is the inability of former inmates to successfully reintegrate into the society due to the lack of updated knowledge and skills. Like several federal correctional services across the US, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is plagued with persistent recidivating offenders. Even if the state has made estimable efforts in reducing recidivism through inmate education, amongst other methods, the effectiveness and adequacy of the education remain questionable. High levels of recidivism persist, with statistics from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (a federal agency) indicating the recidivism rates in North Carolina to be higher than most states of the United States of America. Approximately 40% of rehabilitated offenders end up in prison, indicating that North Carolina correctional facilities do not operate optimally (Magee, 2021).

Notwithstanding the high recidivism rates, research indicates a commendable decline in crime rates in North Carolina, for which the state’s criminal justice system cannot take credit. Seemingly, more people are turning away from crime, but the remaining fewer offenders have a high likelihood of reoffending even after serving their sentences in correctional facilities. One big failure plaguing the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is implementing technology in inmates’ education programs. The demand for technological literacy has increased tremendously due to the rapid technological evolution and adoption of new technologies in all sectors. The absence of technology-based education for inmates immensely hampers their inability to reintegrate into contemporary society productively. Imperatively, there is a need for reevaluating the effects of technology-based education in curbing recidivism on the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Literature-review Section

Introduction to Literature Review

To understand the role of technology-based education in curbing recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, this literature review section provides a broad knowledge of the topic based on prior research. The literature section sets the foundation for this research through the provisional of the contextual and theoretical frameworks and the empirical knowledge that guide the research methodology and hypothesis. It contextualizes the study and explicitly explains the education issues surrounding recidivism in North California, focusing on the lack of technology for inmates. The theoretical framework part of the literature review provides a network of theories that hanker and support the study hypothesis. Empirical evidence is a collection of quantitative and qualitative studies that have previously researched topics critical or related to this research. The synchronization of past evidence on the topic and the analysis of the problem statement, this literature review section will achieve key objectives, including highlighting variables and notions related to recidivism, education, and technology, identifying key findings that challenge this research’s objective, identifying this study’s relevance within the academic discourse and in the real world, demonstrating key innovative methods such as technology for inmates in solving the recidivism crisis.

Conceptual framework

The broader context of the research problem lies within the intensifying recidivating offenders across the US. This research investigates the effects of education on recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction with a specific focus on using updated technology for inmates. Even with the efforts by the national and federal US government to address crime rates, US’s recidivism rates remain alarmingly high, with the issue cutting across all states of America, representing a daunting challenge that calls for a multifaceted mitigation approach. The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDOC) plays a key role in rehabilitating criminals in the state. One issue that greatly affects the NCDOC’s role in implementing successful offender reforms is the high rates of recidivism experienced in the state’s correctional facilities. The effectiveness of education (a key mitigation strategy for re-incarceration) programs in North Carolina correctional facilities is questionable. Education in correctional services is key to reforming offenders and ensuring they do not end back in correctional facilities. According to Vendala (2021), inmates who receive education during their sentences have better changes and opportunities for personal growth and successful reincorporation into society. The education for inmate outcomes is better when updated technology is used. This array of the broader contextual issues surrounding recidivism in North California proves that applying technology-based education is a viable mitigation strategy.

Theoretical framework

Possible Impact of Education on Recidivism: Good Lives Model

The Good Lives model of criminal rehabilitation is the theoretical concept related to education’s role in curbing recidivism. The Good Lives Model, a development by Dr Mayumi Purvis and Prof Tony Ward in 2006, has greatly gained usage in curbing incarnation rates worldwide. Mallion (2021) terms the creation as a strength-based approach to criminal reform that augments the need, risk, and response doctrines of successful correctional intervention. The main focus of the theory is developing and implementing successful programs that deter offenders. The theory provides meaningful life strategies to offenders, deterring them from the desire to engage in crime. According to Mallion (2021), it enhances engagement with the intervention program, reducing dropouts, a popular characteristic feature of recidivism.

Essentially, the GLM works on the central assumption that criminal behavior results from an individual’s inability to attain primary human needs such as happiness, friendship, relationships, and the satisfaction of mastering certain skills and experiences. Explicitly identifying offenders’ primary needs and incorporating education programs that address them is key to preventing them from reoffending, as they will have a meaningful life once they are reincorporated into society. GLM directly targets criminogenic needs and conceptualizes them as obstacles to attaining primary needs. The model acknowledges the complex nature of human behavior and draws an inference that criminal behavior can be directly or indirectly linked to encountering obstacles in pursuing goods. The GLM model supports inmates in overcoming obstacles, reforming them, and reducing re-offense risk.

This theoretical concept is relevant to the current study since it supports the role of education programs in reducing recidivism in North California. Education programs based on the GLM can help inmates acquire skills to attain primary goods and improve their discipline and self-control levels, thus deterring the reoccurrence of criminal behavior. Despite scholarly evidence such as (2021) of its success, the GLM model has received criticism, citing the lack of adequate empirical evidence supporting its major propositions and assumptions. Even if the GLM is an ideological and intuition-based model, it informs research on the use of updated technology and education for inmates to facilitate their need satisfaction

Role of Technology in Reducing Recidivism: Theory of Change

The concept theory of change is often used in the business world, which frequently experiences rapid change. Nevertheless, change is inherent in any setting, including in the incarceration and rehabilitation of offenders. Rehabilitation is the art of influencing offenders` reform and reintegration into society. The social psychological ideology (change theory) was established by Kurt Lewin, “the father of psychology,” in the 1940s (Rosca, 2021). The famous psychologist argues that change is driven by three major concepts: the restraining forces, the driving forces, and the equilibrium. The driving forces trigger the need for change and drive individuals or groups towards it. Rosca (2021) defines the restraining forces as factors that hinder the desire and strife for change and represent both internal and external forces that would need diminishing if change were to occur. Equilibrium is the state of balance where the sum of restraining forces equals the sum of driving forces.

The change theory illustrates the necessity for diminishing resisting factors and maximizing driving forces to establish the most favorable environment for change. Lewin, the orchestrator of the theory of change, came up with a three-phase model, unfreezing, movement, and freezing for managing change. According to Parker (2021), the unfreezing phase defines the existence of a situation that triggers the individual to relinquish the current and old habits and desire change. This stage has the greatest risk of change resistance and, thus, the need to optimize the driving forces. The next phase is marked by visible and productive change.

Drawing knowledge from Lewis` change theory, practical improvements in the recidivism culture in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections can be initiated and implemented. The change model can identify weaknesses in the department’s rehabilitative programs, including the lack of technology-based education programs. Incorporating technology in education can be done following Lewis’s stages of implementing change. Bringing change through updated technology for inmates and applying the theory of change would expectedly reduce the risk of re-offense, as previous research has highlighted the model’s success in both business and non-business areas.

Empirical Evidence

There exist a broad body of knowledge about the usefulness of education for inmates in reducing crime rates and recidivism. Most research focuses on conventional education programs such as vocational training and the high school equivalency. There exist little empirical data exploring the role of technology in reforming incarcerated individuals. The role of technology is significant in the light of the increasing technology usage around the world. The lack of updated technology among inmates is disadvantageous as it prevents their successful integration into communities upon release.

The article by Higgins (2021) meticulously examines rehabilitation and education in the context of prisons. Higgins explores the effectiveness of imprisonment, alternatively comparing it to a “penal imaginary.” While not concluding on success rates of imprisonment, Higgins delves into rehabilitation education for adults and settles on the idea that the principles of freedom underpin education for adult inmates. Moreover, the article explores the most suitable form of education in the prison context. It identifies that education in rehabilitation is a good approach to promoting the holistic development of inmates. Higgins (2021) sheds light on the multidimensional nature of rehabilitation and raises questions on how feasible and desirable rehabilitation centers should be, especially concerning the challenging conditions in rehabilitation centers worldwide.

Higgins (2021) draws special attention to how imprisonment forms division in society, leading to an “us” versus “them” mentality. The scholar opts for more human rehabilitation methodss, sighting the harsh realities of imprisonment, such as intimidation, violence, crime, and drug abuse. In Higgins’s perspective, imprisonment focuses on instilling fear rather than addressing the broader objectives of successfully rehabilitating and reincorporating offenders into society. Higgins proposes incorporating education for inmates to make rehabilitation centers less hostile and impart the right values and skills to inmates. Moreover, Higgins’s research highlights the challenges of aligning criminal rehabilitation objectives with adult education and holistic development principles. This article is a useful resource for the current study as it empirically enriches the research on the effects of technology-based education for recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Another study Vendala (2019) examines the transformative power of inmate education. Vendala identifies the global and holistic nature of inmate education, highlighting its goal as to achieve criminal reforms. The article identifies the existence of miscellaneous debates surrounding the effectiveness of inmate education in countering crime. Vendala`s study is founded on the basic assumption that correctional education may help reduce crime and recidivism rates. The mechanism through which education reduces crime includes boosting inmates` self-confidence, influencing behavior change, and allowing inmates a chance for personal development in the cognitive, psychosocial, and physical dimensions.

Adopting a convergent mixed methods research design, Vendala`s study is carried out on former inmates in South Africa who received correctional education while serving their sentences. Data for this research is collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The quantitative findings of Vendala`s research indicate that correctional education successfully transforms offenders. And boosts self-confidence. Also, the article adds that correctional addition that the benefits of correctional education are multifaceted. In addition to offering academic skills to inmates, it promotes behavioral change and increases employability. Vendala emphasizes that the holistic benefits of inmate education are significant in mitigating recidivism and helping former inmates become law-abiding citizens. Even though the study does not explore the usefulness of technology in education for inmates, it is a valuable resource for the research on the effects of inmate education for recidivism in North Carolina. And supports the study’s hypothesis that education is an effective measure in preventing offenders from recidivating.

Still another empirical Study Magee (2021) investigates the effects of formal education on recidivism. Formal education is defined as curriculum based education offered in a classroom model and involving interactions between the teacher and learners. Formal education is categorized into two wide divisions: vocational and academic. Magee`s founds her study on the hypothesis that form education lowers recidivism rates. The research findings align with the hypothesis, concluding that inmates who receive formal education have a lower likelihood of re-imprisonment than those who do not receive vocation or academic education.

Steure (2021) stands out as it explores the role of technology for inmates, an aspect that is lacking in the rest of the empirical studies. Steure (2021) sheds light on the immense benefits that would come with the incorporation of technology in inmate education. The article identifies that most correctional facilities prohibit the use of mobile phones and internet access amongst inmates thu,s hampering their ability to keep up with the rest of the world. It is inherent that correctional facilities take precautions as internet access amongst inmates poses dangers such as cybercrime and gang collaboration. Additionally, there exists a popular believe that inmates do not need similar education programs as the rest of the world. More still, most governments are reluctant to invest in modern technology for inmates, but perhaps they just lack evidence of its immense social, political, and economic benefits.

The inability of inmates to access modern technology hampering their ability to secure jobs and live at per with the rest of the community upon release. Still another study Dortch and James (2019) highlights some efforts in North Carolina`s fight against recidivism through technology for inmates citing the North Carolina Pathway program and identifies that more similar programs would be critical for impacting significant change in recidivism rates. The North Carolina Pathway Program and other similar successful ones are insightful to the several benefits of allowing updated technology for inmates especially in minimizing re-offense. To counter the risk of cybercrimes and other criminal activities that new technology might facilitate, Steurer (2021) offers the solution of increased cyber security awareness. Security measures such as integrity of fire wall can be applied to track in malicious cyber activities and ensure the cyber space is only used for the intended purposes. Steurer (2021) emphasizes the use of technology-backed education for inmates without which recidivism rates are likely to skyrocket. Released offenders will always have a problem fitting back into the community and thus end up recidivatingg.

Proposed Method

This part provides a detailed overview of the proposed methods in evaluating the effects of technology-backed education for recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Previous research majorly focuses on conventional rehabilitation methods. Even the fewer studies that have evaluated the impact of education on recidivism have left out the use of updated technology, thus portraying a knowledge gap that the current study aims to address. The paradigm shift and usage of updated technology to educate inmates is a powerful tool for preventing re-offences and facilitating successful reincorporation of offenders into the society. The contemporary world experiences rapid technological changes with innovation and invention of new methods within very short timeframes. In response to technological changes, different sectors, including education, health, and generally, the corporate world, have adopted new methods. While in correctional facilities, inmates may lack access to updated technology as their education programs may not be flexible to incorporate recent technological changes. Also, there exist many restrictions in many incarceration centers around the world that restrict inmates from interacting with new technologies. This study, through a secondary research method, offers an in-depth analysis of how technology can be incorporated into inmate education to reduce recidvism

Research Question

Is technology-backed education a viable solution for curbing the high rates of recidivism that plague the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction?

Hypothesis

This study hypothesizes that the inclusion of up-to-date technology in education for inmates significantly leads to the success of the education programs thus reducing recidivism. The hypothesis is founded on the notions that inmates will be more receptive of education programs if technology is used, technology based education promotes employability for inmates, and that inmates who receive viable education programs are less likely to reoffend. The hypothesis aligns with previous research that education successfully mitigates recidivism and crime, and the results are more viable if education programs are implemented in the light of updated technology.

Research Design

This research utilizes the retrospective cohort research design involving analyzing existing data about the research topic. The research sources datasets from the North Carolina Department of adult Corrections reports, previous empirical research, government reports, and other relevant sources. This design is effective since it enables researchers to meticulously investigate the research topic as well as identify study gaps that the current research needs to address Talari & Goyal, (2020). The retrospective cohort design facilitates the examination of previous empirical evidence on recidivism in North Carolina and helps the current research draw inferences on the effects of education in curbing the recidivism problem existing in North Carolina criminal justice system and the rest of the world. The method is specifically fit for the current research as it allows investigation of the long-term impacts of incorporating technology in inmate education especially in the light of the new shift to digitalization and the technological advancements. Through qualitative, qualitative, and longitudinal data analysis, this study combines previous and current knowledge while making forecasts on future trends and effectively fills the identified study gaps, enriching the world`s understanding on the role of technology in curbing crime.

Procedure

Data Sources

This study relies on a collection of data sources that provide adequate knowledge on the research topic. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction reports inform the study through the provision of inmate demographic data such as gender and population, education, as well reoffending rates, shedding light to the departments struggle with recidivism. Precious academic journals offer statistical insight on the topic and how criminal justice systems around the world address the recidivism issue. Both USA nation and the state of North Carolina federal government reports offer insights on the government take on recidivism. Drawing from the various sources is informative to the current study an sheds light on figuring out a long-term solution for successful criminal rehabilitation.

Data Collection Methods

As a secondary research, this study primarily draws data from secondary sources to offer an evidence-based understanding of the research topic. Amongst the data collection techniques applied for this research include quantitative analysis involving the collection of numerical data such as statistic on recidivism rate, education for inmate, and correctional facility demographs from identified sources. The study additionally applies longitudinal study model involving historical examination of data related to the research topic to identify what has worked before and what has not.

Timeline

The table below shows the research time-line and the deliverables for each phase.

Discussion

The proposed research is significantly informative on resolving the high recidivism on the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction through the application of technology in inmate education programs.

Strengths

Recidivism is a problem affecting criminal rehabilitation, as rehabilitation can only be considered successful if the rehabilitated offenders do not recidivate. The effects of recidivism have both social and cost implications. The release of unreformed individuals is detrimental to society. Additionally, utilization resources on unprogressive rehabilitative programs translate to incompetence of the criminal justice system and resource wastage. The identification of effective rehabilitation methods that successfully transform offenders eases correctional services off the burden recidivism brings and promote societal safety and wellbeing. As such, one strength of this research is that it offers insightful knowledge that would help solve the economic, political, and social implications of high recidivism rates. The focus on technology and new methods for inmates sets this research aside in its critical role of change from ineffective inmate education programs to technology based education which informs transformation of criminals.

The study aims to align correctional services with the rest of the world in terms of digitalization and technological trends. Harnessing technology potential in rehabilitation of offenders creates a paradigm shift from rehabilitation centers being resented to the society viewing them in light of the transformative change they bring about. The research also addresses a topic that has been neglected before and whose empirical data is not wide, thus filling the study gap of technology-backed education for inmates. Another identifiable strength of the proposed research is its multidisciplinary approach, where the research draws knowledge from various fields including education, technology and criminology. The holistic approach is vital to address the seemingly problem of monotonous recidivism in North Carolina`s Correctional Services.

Limitations

Even with its immense contribution to the effects of technology based education for recidivism, one major of this research is its sole reliance on secondary data. The research dwells on existing data about the topic and does not involve primary research, which may not offer comprehensive and up-to-date insights on the research topic. The question of quality also arises since the researchers do not have direct control over the authenticity, reliability and the accuracy of prior research and hence in-depth analysis of the topic is inhibited. An even more weight limitation is the problem of establishing causality. Even if this research investigates the effects of technology based education on recidivism, the issue of causality arises since there are a variety of other factors other than education that affect recidivism rates. For instance, developing and underdeveloped countries may experience high recidivism rates due to rampant employment. Also, recidivism in developed countries may be triggered by factors like drug and substance abuse and racist ideologies. Still, education based challenges other than the non-incorporation of new technology may affect the success of education programs and their effectiveness in curbing recidivism. Even the technology based education approach is impactful in the endeavor to reduce recidivism, focusing on technology-based education for recidivism and leaving out other impactful strategies may not offer a comprehensive long-term solution for recidivism in the NCDOC.

Alternatives

Alternative approaches to supplement the secondary research include incorporation of primary research through experimental studies with the North Carolina adult correctional facilities. In the controlled experiments, technology based education would be used as a rehabilitative intervention for inmates. Results would be collected after their release and compared to those not subjected to the programs. Such experiments would bare more viable results and eliminate the risk of entirely relying on secondary data.

Recommendations for Future Studies

Longitudinal and controlled experiments are viable solution to solving the limitations of the current study. Also, it is recommendable that future research incorporates modern technology in inmate education as it is a less explored area. Another recommendation for future research is comparative analysis. Future projects should consider comparing technology based education with programs such as vocational training and as well as a hybrid consideration. Another recommendation is for a multifaceted research exploring all factors that increase recidivism for the formulation of an all-inclusive strategy to address the recidivism problem. Also, future research should focus on quantifying the economic impacts of recidivism and the role of technology based education in alleviating any negative impacts.

Ethical considerations

This research involves the criminal justice system, a sensitive docket of the government. Ethical considerations are therefore critical to avoid collisions with the law. For this reason, these researchers sought consent from the North Carolina Department of Adult correction and the government for their usage of reports and statistical data. Future empirical studies must also seek permission from relevant and inmates participant to comply with research ethical requirements. Additionally, this research observes copyrights and references all outsourced data correctly. It adheres to the strict research plagiarism rules and correctly acknowledges authors of previous academic sources used.

Conclusion

The population of incarcerated individuals in the US clocks to more than 2 million with more than 700,000 year releases. This research has demonstrated the effectiveness of education in enabling released adults reintegrate into the society. Additionally, the meta-analysis suggests that incorporation of technology for inmate education bares more results in lowering recidivism rates. In the pursuit of knowledge about the rampant recidivism in the North Carolina Department of Adult correction, this study provides immense opportunity for viable solutions to the problem. Even if results are founded on secondary data, the study goes further to identify its limitations and offers recommendations for future, more viable research. The limitation, including data availability and viability, should be viewed as a foundation for more evidence based primary research. This study additionally connects with future studies symbiotically. Future research can use insights and recommendation to provide a long-term solution for recidivism not only in North Carolina but the rest of the world.

References

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