Date Approved
6-13-2017
Graduate Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Criminal Justice (M.S.)
Degree Program
School of Criminal Justice
First Advisor
John Walsh
Second Advisor
Jaclyn Cwick
Third Advisor
Patrick Gerkin
Academic Year
2016/2017
Abstract
Within the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the local Women’s Resource Center (WRC) fosters a mentoring program, New Beginnings (NB), with the goal to assist recently released jailed women to successfully reintegrate by achieving reentry goals. The following study examines how gender-responsive offender mentoring influences the success of women achieving reentry goals and reentering society. This study uses data from WRC that shows how many hours 78 mentees spent with their mentors before and after they were released from the Kent County jail and if reentry goals were met. It is hypothesized that total, pre-, and post-release hours mentors and mentees spend with each other is positively related to the achievement of reentry goals (i.e. employment, schooling, housing, sobriety, increased social capital). Furthermore, it is hypothesized that post-release hours are most influential due to mentors and mentees bonding with each other in a community setting. Results indicate that total, pre-, and post-release hours are significantly related to the achievement of reentry goals. Particularly, for every hour a mentee spends with her mentor post-release, her odds of achieving her reentry goals increase 5.5 times. Findings are consistent with social learning and social capital theory.
ScholarWorks Citation
Stoddard, Rebecca R., "Recently Released Women’s Time Spent with Mentors and Achieving Reentry Goals" (2017). Masters Theses. 848.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/848
