Dr. Tajuddeen A. Williams

Abbreviated Quantitative Research Plan

· Personal Essays

This quantitative study examines what external and internal factors contribute to recidivism, how ex-offenders view and address recidivism due to these factors, and determines which interventions are most effective in minimizing the probability of recidivism. The following abbreviated research plan includes an introduction, study purpose, viable research questions, hypotheses, and a preliminary research plan.

Introduction

Recidivism can be likened to an ever-present possibility after an individual has been released from incarceration. Several studies have shown that incarceration affects both the prisoner and their families (Olver, Stockdale & Wormith, 2011; Scurich & Monahan, 2016). And due to lack of employment, social stigma, and implicit bias, the interplay of external and internal factors thrust ex-offenders into situations where recidivism seems to be the only solution to capable of satisfying basic needs (Kroner & Yessine, 2013). This study will focus on examining what external and internal factors contribute to recidivism and discovering which interventions will be most effective in minimizing the probability of recidivism. Designing effective recidivism interventions will require a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of ex-offenders who have very few methods of meeting their basic needs.

It will also be important to understand how these experiences affect their self-image and perception from family, friends, and the general public (e.g.: potential employers, law enforcement, etc.). To gain a comprehensive view of the contributing factors, a survey design was chosen to gather a selection of ex-offenders’ personal experiences with reoccurring situations where basic needs fail to be sufficiently satisfied. This survey design also gathers data concerning which interventions will be most effective in minimizing the probability of recidivism by adequately satisfying the basic needs of ex-offenders and their families.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this research study is to determine what external and internal factors contribute to recidivism, their influence, and to discover which interventions are most effective in minimizing the probability of recidivism. The United States has the highest population incarcerated citizens than any other country (Scurich & Monahan, 2016). As a result, millions of people live with the legal status of being an ex-offender. Incarceration bears an indelible mark upon the mental and physical health of of many individuals. However, the effects of incarceration go further to affect the ability of ex-offenders to resettle within society, to satisfy the basic needs of themselves and their families, and to repair and build interpersonal relationships (Kroner & Yassine, 2013; Scurich & Monahan, 2016).

Using a survey will aid in generalizing experiences of the study participants to the general ex-offender population. This survey will be vital in understanding the factors that seemingly cause ex-offenders to believe they have no other choice but to return to crime to be satisfy their needs. And it will also help shed light on key interventions that will help address internal and external pressures and minimize the probability of recidivism.

Viable Research Questions and Hypotheses

Viable Research Questions

Do external factors contribute to recidivism?

Do internal factors contribute to recidivism?

Does utilizing intervention techniques affect how ex-offenders view and address recidivism?

Answering these questions can be achieved by reviewing participant responses to the research survey. Measuring survey responses with a numerically assigned, Likert-type scale seems to be the most effective method of data acquisition (Creswell, 2009). The effectiveness of situational interventions has already been documented in various research studies. Moreover, this research study will complement prior knowledge of recidivism by determining the type and influence of external and internal factors contributing to recidivism and which interventions adequately minimize the strength of these factors.

Hypotheses

External factors affect how individuals view and address recidivism.

Internal factors affect how individuals view and address recidivism.

Intervention techniques minimize external and internal factors that affect how individuals view and address recidivism.

These directional hypotheses can be measured by examining what external and internal factors contribute to recidivism, how they influence individual views of recidivism, and what intervention techniques minimize the affects of these factors.

Research Plan

The purpose of the research study is to gain insight of a cross-section of the general population of individuals who are ex-offenders between the ages of 25 to 65 to examine the effects of external and internal factors and invention effectiveness in minimizing these factors that can lead to recidivism. The study sample will be comprised of responses from ex-offenders to surveys sent (after authorized permission from authorities) to fifty halfway houses and re-entry programs servicing male and female ex-offenders within the state of Texas. Per response ratios, all or a random selection of individuals will participate in the study. This population was chosen due to the high probability of recidivism amongst ex-offenders. The preferred method of data collection for this study is the survey method via a self-reporting framework or questionnaire (Creswell, 2009).

This method was chosen due to the necessity of obtaining direct accounts of individual experiences of ex-offenders regarding situations where external and internal factors affect their view of recidivism and what interventions have been affective in minimizing these factors. The survey vehicle for this research was designed specifically for this study. The dependent variable in all three hypotheses is the address (and avoidance) of recidivism. The independent variables are external factors, internal factors, and intervention techniques or methods.

The survey is designed to identify how participants identify and are affected by external and internal factors, how they assess problematic situations created by these factors, and what intervention techniques or methods they utilize to address these factors. For comparative data analysis and accurate interpretation, the study finding will account for and present the number of returned and non-returned surveys to address the internal validity threat of attrition (Creswell, 2009).

Furthermore, wave analysis will be used to measure for response change from study start to completion. The independent variables will be compared via an analysis of variance. The dependent and independent variables will be assessed through descriptive analysis, which will further determine mean, deviation, and range of scoring of study variables.

References

  • Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ↩1 ↩2 ↩3
  • Kroner, D. G., & Yessine, A. K. (2013). Changing risk factors that impact recidivism: In search of mechanisms of change. Law and Human Behavior, 37(5), 321. ↩
  • Olver, M. E., Stockdale, K. C., & Wormith, J. S. (2011). A meta-analysis of predictors of offender treatment attrition and its relationship to recidivism. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(1), 6. ↩
  • Scurich, N., & Monahan, J. (2016). Evidence-based sentencing: Public openness and opposition to using gender, age, and race as risk factors for recidivism. Law and Human Behavior, 40(1), 36-41. ↩1 ↩2 ↩3

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