A study to assess the need for postsecondary education in the prisons of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
[Thesis]
M. B. S. B. M. Al-Saud
University of Houston
1992
165
Ed.D.
University of Houston
1992
The purpose of this study was to determine a need for post-secondary programs in the prisons of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The subjects were prison inmates from three selected prisons including Jeddah, Damman and Riyadh. A total of two hundred and eighty-three prison inmates constituted the voluntary sample of this study. The three inmate sub-groups were approximately similar, for Dammam Prison (n = 95); Jeddah Prison (n = 100) and Riyadh Prison (n = 88). Government and school officials also participated. Data were gathered through questionnaires, a search of prison records and interviews. Data were analyzed by determining the central themes and concepts relative to the specific questions. Descriptive statistics including mean scores and standard deviations indicate the central consensus and the variability among participants. The Kruskal-Wallis analysis was employed. Both statistical significance, when (p <.01, p <.05, or p usdusd.10 and p <.32) determine true difference among the rank mean scores. There were more male (n = 223) than female inmates (n = 57). About one-third had elementary education (n = 102), middle school (n = 64); high school (n = 40), and post-secondary (n = 44). The majority of the inmates (90%) were between the ages of 19 to 35. Approximately half of the inmates were single (49%). The majority (89%) had less than 24 months left on their sentences. Finally, 58% indicated their first offense. Four research questions guided the study. The first related to the benefit to society of post-secondary program as perceived by policy makers. Officials perceived the need to develop human resources while inmates saw the programs as beneficial. Time inmates serve in prison and current educational programs were strongly related to post-secondary plans. Research question four based on the relationship between inmates' values and benefits was supported. This study suggests a structural change to include post-secondary programs in the prisons, because qualified inmates are incarcerated currently to benefit from such programs which should focus on the development of the student's continuing interest in education.