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The Role of Vocational Training in Pathways toward Desistance
Author(s) -
Feeney Kevin Joseph
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.259
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1747-1346
pISSN - 1555-5623
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00139.x
Subject(s) - vocational education , transformative learning , order (exchange) , work (physics) , process (computing) , training (meteorology) , psychology , sociology , public relations , engineering ethics , political science , computer science , pedagogy , engineering , business , mechanical engineering , physics , finance , meteorology , operating system
This essay explores the relationship between vocational training and prisoner entry, a process that attempts to facilitate and support formerly incarcerated people's (FIP's) efforts to establish lives free from crime. I draw from a review of existing programs and an analysis of the relationship between work and crime to derive the conclusion that vocational training should take innovative steps in order to prepare FIP to compete effectively in the contemporary labor market. Training should address the barriers to long‐term employment that are particular to FIP. It should also enable these individuals to treat their work as a transformative moment in the path toward desistance. I close by evaluating the potential of two innovative models of vocational programs, both of which appear to satisfy the criteria established above.