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African American men speak: unheard perspectives of the Self-Paced In Class Education (SPICE) program & reentry in the 21st century
Dissertation   Open access

African American men speak: unheard perspectives of the Self-Paced In Class Education (SPICE) program & reentry in the 21st century

Pia L. Scott
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Aug 2016
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-7036
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Abstract

Prisoner--Education Prisoners--Deinstitutionalization Educational leadership Education
This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of formerly incarcerated African American men participating in the Self-Paced In Class Education (SPICE) program to understand the perceived barriers to reentry and how the program supported their transition back into society. By using Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework and qualitative phenomenology (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Moustakas, 1994), the study assessed the dynamics of prisoner reentry from the perspective of nine formerly incarcerated African American men to explore their experiences from childhood to adulthood. Data was collected through interviews to address the following research questions: (a) What barriers to societal reentry do formerly incarcerated African American males perceive when they exit prison?, (b) How do the participants in the Self-Paced In Class Education program describe utilizing the contents of the program outside of prison?, and (c) How do the participants in the Self-Paced In Class Education program describe their engagement with allied agencies that support their transition to life beyond prison walls? The findings suggest that African American men perceived barrier difficulties in the reentry and transition process to include lack of housing, education, employment, and assistance from allied agencies. Understanding the essence of the African American male's experiences with the reentry process will contribute to the field of criminal justice reform and support the needs of African American men returning home from prison. Keywords: reentry, recidivism, rehabilitation, correctional education

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