A Qualitative Phenomenological Study on Prison Volunteers in California’s Correctional System
1. A QUALITATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL
STUDY ON PRISON VOLUNTEERS IN
CALIFORNIA’S CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
Donna Madison-Bell, Ed.D
October 7, 2014
University of Phoenix
Dissertation Oral Defense
3. Outline of Today’s Dissertation
Defense Presentation
Researcher’s Background
Background of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Purpose Statement
Research Questions
Research Gap
Significance of the Study
Theoretical Framework
Method and Design Appropriateness
Pilot Study
Population and Sampling
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Findings
Implications
Recommendations
Conclusion
Questions
3
5. Background of the Study
O The state of California’s recidivism rate continues to increase
(Flamer, 2011; Uniform Crime Report, 2009).
O Recidivism is a return to criminal behavior after release.
O As of December 31, 2013, the total institution population
revealed 134,339 adult inmates (California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2014).
O Correctional facilities rely on volunteers (Tewksbury &
Dabney, 2004).
O Estimate 4,000 volunteers were active in the Federal Bureau of
Prison in 1993 (Hawk, 1993).
O Prison volunteer’s provides tools and resources to inmates.
5
6. General Problem
O Most inmates released from
California prisons did not
successfully reenter the
community (Haas &
DeTardo-Bora, 2009; Zgoba,
Haugebrook, & Jenkins,
2008).
O Volunteers experiencing budget cuts that
provide services and resources in
correctional facilities has shown limited
reduction in recidivism (The Pew Center
on the States, 2012).
Specific Problem
Statement of the Problem
6
7. Purpose Statement
O Explore and understand the lived experiences of prison
volunteers who witnessed the decline of reentry services,
educational programs, and prison funding in California and
the meaning they ascribed to that experience.
7
8. Research Questions
RQ: What are the lived experiences of prison volunteers
relative to reentry, educational programs, and to budget
cuts in California?
SQ 1: What are the motivational factors that inspired
leadership roles associated with prison volunteers and
prison programs?
SQ 2: What personal motivational factors inspire individuals
to volunteer in prisons?
SQ 3: How does the characteristic of transformational and
servant leadership influence volunteers to involve others to
volunteer in a correctional facility?
8
9. Research Gap
O Addressing prison volunteers personal experience in a
correctional facility (Anheier & Salamon, 2001; Morrow-Howell
et al., 2009; Tewksbury & Dabney, 2004).
O Evaluating prison programs, specifically reentry and education
(Foley & Gao, 2004; Werth & Summer, 2006; Seiter & Kadela,
2003; Tewksbury & Dabney, 2005; United States Department of
Education 2011).
O Influential factors of leadership on prison volunteers (Meier,
Singletary, & Hill, 2012; Stirling, Kilpatrick, & Orpin, 2011).
O Tracking the success of inmates after released from prison
(Duwe & Clark, 2013; Klein, Tolbert, Bugarin, Cataldi, &
Tauschek, 2004; Lattimore & Visher, 2009; Zhang, Roberts, &
McCollister, 2011). 9
10. Significance of Study
O The significance of the study is that the ultimate goal of
reducing recidivism rates is attainable if experienced
volunteers provide effective education and reentry programs
to inmates.
Three-Year Recidivism Rates for Felons Released from
Prison During FY 2008-09 (California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2013).
10
11. Theoretical Framework
O Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
O Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in
psychology where individuals pursue to meet greater needs in
the form of a hierarchy (Maslow, 1943).
O Servant Leadership:
O Servant leadership theory Greenleaf (1973) has since been
supported by many leadership practitioners and researchers as
a model that focuses on serving others as the main priority of
leaders (Hesselbein, Goldsmith, & Beckhard, 2006).
O Transformational Leadership:
O The focus of transformational leadership is to positively
transform and change individuals (Northouse, 2001). 11
12. Method & Design
Appropriateness
O Qualitative phenomenological “explores an in-depth
understanding about a social construction of reality”
(Christensen, Johnson, & Turner, 2010, p. 368).
O Empirical phenomenological requires a protocol to
collect descriptive accounts of participants lived
experiences (Moustakas, 1994).
12
13. Pilot Study
O Three participants, (a director of a community-based
organization and two prison volunteers)
O The pilot interviews lasted 45-60 minutes
O Pilot study participants:
O reviewed the draft interview questions and provided
feedback
O test the instrument (interview questions) prior to carrying
out the full study
O aided in evaluating the instrument aligned with the research
questions
O participants were not part of the study
13
14. Population & Sample
O Sample:
O 47 e-mail invitations
O 20 participants met the sampling criteria
O data saturation did occur
O Criteria of Sampling Population:
O (a) active prison volunteer, both male and female
O (b) between the ages 18 and older
O (c) demonstrated more than 6 months volunteer
experience in a prison facility
O (d) California resident
14
15. Data Collection
Interviews
O 35 – 60 minutes face-to-face interview took place in
Northern and Southern California.
O Interview were digitally audio-recorded.
O Verbatim data was manually transcribed onto Microsoft
Word document.
O Codes identified as RP1 through RP20 used to represent
each participant’s responses.
15
16. Data Analysis
O Applied the van Kaam method (Moustakas, 1994) to
achieve a systemic discovery of:
O Patterns
O Themes
O Meaning in the participants responses
O Used NVivo™ 10 software:
O Manage
O Organize
O Analyze
O Collected non-numerical
O Unstructured data
16
17. Data Analysis
Emergent Themes
OInternal Themes related to lived experiences of prison volunteers:
O key motivational factors
O personal growth and achievements
O benefits of volunteering
O personal challenges
O personal perception of leadership characteristics
OExternal Themes related to prison programs and community-based
organizations:
O the need for change
O identifying community-based organizations challenges & issues
in in a correctional facility
O critical factors for improving volunteer training
17
18. Findings
Approximately 7,000 volunteers provide services in a federal prison
(United States Department of Justice, 2010).
Community-based organizations use approximately six million
volunteers to deliver various services (Eisner, Grimm, Maynard, and
Washburn, 2009).
ODetermined the impact of community-based organizations’ leaders
influence to motivate committed volunteers
Otraining and recruiting
ODiscovered prison volunteer’s effort to help rehabilitate inmates
O motivational factors
ODiscovered prison volunteer’s perspective on the impact of budget
cuts in correctional facilities
O impact on funding prison programs
18
19. Findings
Research Questions
RQ: What are the lived experiences of prison volunteers
relative to reentry, educational programs, and to budget
cuts in California?
SQ 1: What are the motivational factors that inspired
leadership roles associated with prison volunteers and
prison programs?
SQ 2: What personal motivational factors inspire individuals
to volunteer in prisons?
SQ 3: How does the characteristic of transformational and
servant leadership influence volunteers to involve others to
volunteer in a correctional facility?
19
20. Implications
O Considerable strategies toward:
O improving training and recruiting
O decrease prison volunteer turnover
O helping an underserved population
O Leaders of community-based organizations promote:
O leadership ability to potential prison volunteers
O Adequate funding and reassessing prison programs:
O community-based organization's prison programs
O tracking system on released inmates
O policies toward the impact of funding 20
21. Recommendations
O Leaders of community-based organizations:
O examine the relationship of leadership role toward prison
volunteers
O explore strategies toward funding prison programs
O Prison Volunteers:
O explore motivational factors
O explore demonstrating the characteristics of servant and
transformational leadership
O Future Research:
O replicate this study in other regions and areas within the
correctional system 21
22. O The study findings could offer various sources beyond the
dissertation:
O a need to explore and understand lived experiences of
prison volunteers
O a need to set guidelines of community-based
organizations expectations of prison volunteers
O effective methods on improving leadership
communication skills with prison volunteers
O become a leader who influences and inspire others
O Scholar, Practitioner, Leader Model
Conclusion
22
24. References
24
Anheier, H. K., & Salamon, L. M. (2001). Volunteering in cross-
national perspective: Initial comparisons. Law and
Contemporary Problems, 62(4), 43-65. [Civil Society
Working Paper 10]. Retrieved from
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29049/1/CSWP_10_web.pdf
California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections [CDCR].
(2013). New reports show California recidivism decline again
this year. [Official CDCR blog website]. Retrieved from
http://cdcrtoday.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-report-shows-
californias-recidivism.html
California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections [CDCR].
(2014). New reports show California recidivism decline again
this year. [Official CDCR blog website]. Retrieved from
http://cdcrtoday.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-report-shows-
californias-recidivism.html
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. A. (2010).
Research methods, design, and analysis (11th ed.). Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.
25. References
25
Duwe, G., & Clark, V. (2013). Blessed be the social tie that binds
the effects of prison visitation on offender recidivism. Criminal
Justice Policy Review, 24(3), 271-296. doi:
10.1177/0887403411429724
Eisner, D., Grimm, R. T., Maynard, S., & Washburn, S. (2009,
Winter). The new volunteer workforce. Stanford Social
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_The_New_Volunteer_Workforce_volunteer_managementchall
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Flamer, E. S. (2011). Recidivism, disciplinary history, and
institutional Adjustment: A qualitative study examining
correctional education programs [Doctoral dissertation,
University of Phoenix]. Available from ProQuest Dissertation
and Theses Database. (UMI Number: 3529281)
26. References
26
Foley, R. M., & Gao, J. (2004). Correctional education: Characteristics
of academic programs serving incarcerated adults. Journal of
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Greenleaf, R. K. (1973). The servant as leader. Cambridge, MA:
Center for Applied Studies.
Haas, S. M., & DeTardo-Bora, K. A. (2009). Inmate reentry and the
utility of the LSI-R in case planning. Corrections Compendium,
34(1), 11-16.
Hawk, K. (1993). 4,000 BOP volunteers are committed to working
within the federal system. Corrections Today 55(5), 72.
Klein, S., Tolbert, M., Bugarin, R., Cataldi, E. F., & Tauschek, G.
(2004). Correctional education: Assessing the status of prison
programs and information needs [United States Department of
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99-CO-0160]. Retrieved from
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27. References
27
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of SVORI: Summary and synthesis [U. S. Department of
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Meier, A., Singletary, L., & Hill, G. (2012). Measuring the impacts
of a volunteer-based community development program in
developing volunteers' leadership skills. Journal of Extension,
50(2), 1-10. Retrieved from http://www.joe.org
Morrow-Howell, N., Hong, S. I., & Tang, F. (2009). Who benefits
from volunteering? Variations in perceived benefits. The
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28
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Northouse, P. G. (2001). Leadership Theory and Practice (2nd ed.).
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The Pew Center on the States. (2012). Reducing Recidivism:
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sm.pdf
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what does not, and what is promising. Crime & Delinquency,
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29. References
29
Stirling, C., Kilpatrick, S., & Orpin, P. (2011). A psychological contract
perspective to the link between non-profit organizations'
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doi:10.1080/13678868.2011.585066
Tewksbury, R., & Dabney, D. (2004). Prison volunteers: Profiles,
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31. References
31
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