Programs and Healthcare

The following questions were asked to get a sense of respondent's knowledge of inmate education, counseling and healthcare, and whether they approved of these programs.

Do you think the typical inmate has access to educational programs?
Do Inmates Have Access to Education?	General Public		News Media		DC Staff
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Yes	788	93.6%	324	92.0%	442	96.7%
No	54	6.4%	28	8.0%	15	3.3%
Total Cases	842	100.0%	352	100.0%	457	100.0%
Cases Not Applicable = 160/14/242 * Correctional officer/security staff was not asked this question.

Do you approve or disapprove of them having access to educational programs?
Should Inmates Have Access to Education?	General Public		News Media		DC Staff
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Approve	809	91.4%	342	95.5%	663	96.4%
Disapprove	76	8.6%	16	4.5%	25	3.6%
Total Cases	885	100.0%	358	100.0%	688	100.0%
Cases Not Applicable = 117/8/11

Most respondents (93.6%/92.0%/96.7%) know that inmates have access to educational programs, and the majority in all surveys (91.4%/95.5%/96.4%) approve. The DC, through its Office of Education and Job Training, provides the following programs to inmates at various institutions statewide: Mandatory Literacy, Adult Basic Education, General Education Development (GED), special education, Title 1 (to assist inmates under age 21 to learn to read and write), computer labs, vocational education, library and law library and wellness education. Inmates who complete classes appear to be more likely to get jobs upon release. For inmates released in FY 93-94, those who completed an academic or vocational course were 11% more likely to be employed during the last calendar quarter of 1994 than the remaining inmates who were released.

Do you think they have access to drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs while in prison?
Do Inmates Have Access to Substance Abuse Programs?	General Public		News Media		DC Staff
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Yes	689	87.4%	294	88.0%	446	97.8%
No	100	12.6%	40	12.0%	10	2.2%
Total Cases	789	100.0%	334	100.0%	456*	100.0%
Cases Not Applicable = 213/32/243 * Correctional officer/security staf was not asked this question.

Do you approve or disapprove of them having access to drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs?
Should Inmates Have Access to Substance Abuse Programs?	General Public		News Media		DC Staff
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Approve	796	89.2%	346	95.1%	676	97.8%
Disapprove	96	10.8%	18	4.9%	15	2.2%
Total Cases	892	100.0%	364	100.0%	691	100.0%
Cases Not Applicable = 110/2/8

The majority of respondents in all surveys (87.4%/88.0%/97.8%) know that inmates have access to drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs while they are in prison, and a strong majority (89.2%/95.1%/97.8%) approve of these programs.

The DC provides comprehensive Substance Abuse Treatment Programs at 42 major institutions (prisons), 28 community correctional centers, Levy Forestry camp, three institutional and seven community drug treatment centers. These programs serve about 18,000 inmates annually.

(For an overall rating on the DC's success with drug and alcohol treatment programs, see the last page.)

Do you think the typical inmate receives too much, about the right amount, or too little health care?
Health Care Inmates Receive	General Public		News Media		DC Staff
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
About Right Amount	441	64.2%	216	69.0%	268	59.8%
Too Much	156	22.7%	60	19.2%	157	35.0%
Too Little	89	13.1%	37	11.8%	23	5.1%
Total Cases	686	100.0%	313	100.0%	448*	100.0%
Cases Not Applicable = 316/53/251 * Correctional officer/security staff was not asked this question.

The majority of respondents (64.2%/69.0%/59.8%) think inmates receive about the right amount of health care. Less than one in four of the general public and the press said inmates receive too much health care and even fewer (13.1%/11.8%) think too little health care is provided to inmates. About one third of staff (35%) think inmates receive too much health care.