Ctlls Unit 3 Principles and Practice of Assessment

Unit Three: Principles and practice of assessment Methodology Firstly we had input during classes from our tutor on the categories of concepts and principles of assessments, how to use different types of assessments and some of the strengths and weaknesses of these methods, the role of feedback and questioning in the assessment of learning and the different types of assessment records and their uses. Next we individually researched these topics, to do this firstly I used discussions with my mentor, observations of colleague’s sessions, discussions with my peers and evaluation and reflection of my own teaching sessions. My secondary research consisted of academic books, internet sources, as identified in the bibliography. I chose this approach because it gave me the widest range of resources, varying information and views on the subjects. I could then collate the primary and secondary research to write my precis and form my opinions on the research I had undertaken. The focus of my research was on concepts and principles of assessment, the different types of assessments and how to use these, the different assessment methods available along with their strengths and weaknesses especially peer and self assessment, what is feedback and how to make it effective and reviewing and recording learner progress and achievement. This precis will then enable me to better evaluate my own practice and help me to ensure I undertake the assessment process more effectively in the future. Precis ‘Assessment is about several things at once†¦ It is about reporting on students’ achievements and about teaching them better through expressing to them more clearly the goals or our curricula. It is about measuring student learning; it is about diagnosing misunderstandings in order to help students to learn more effectively. It concerns the quality of the teaching as well as the quality of the learning. Ramsden (2003). Assessment is a regular process that enables both tutors and learners to assess the progress of a learner and make judgements about the learning. These judgements then guide the tutor and learner towards the intended learning outcomes, goals that are to be achieved and any improvements required to obtain the desired qualification. Good practice is to reflect and evaluate after each assessment as this will give you the opportunity to improve in the future. The programme syllabus or qualification handbook is the starting point when planning assessments. These will ‘state how the subject should be assessed, and will give information and guidance in the form of an assessment strategy. ’ Petty (2009). If the subject you are teaching is with an official awarding body, they may also have some requirements with regards to assessments that a tutor should be familiar with. When planning assessments you should ensure they are valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable (VACSR). This can be done by asking yourself what, when, where, why, who and how questions; for example, does it assess what is in the syllabus? Remember that assessments should never discriminate or exclude any learners and should always allow equality of opportunity. There are two forms of assessment; Assessment of Learning – this is basically what the learner has learnt at the moment. It measures knowledge retention and uses grading and/or marks. This is summative assessment. Assessment for Learning (AFL) – this determines learner’s goals/targets to build a program or course. This type of assessment focus more on the gaps in learners knowledge rather than teaching the whole subject and about finding faults and fixing them (monitoring improvement). This is formative assessment. These two forms of assessment are both needed by individual learners and society but I think that AFL is a more valuable tool for the individual learner as it is much more centred on where a learner is in their learning, where they need to go, what is the best way to get there and allows time to achieve their full potential (learner focused). The Assessment reform group (1999), list AFL having and learning * AFL should focus on how students learn * AFL should be recognised as central to classroom practice * AFL should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers * AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact * AFL should take account of the importance of learner motivation * AFL should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding f the criteria by which they are assessed * Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve * AFL develops learners capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing * AFL should recognise the full range of achievements of all learners. These principles mean providing effective feedback that enables learners to improve and plan the next steps; adjusting our teaching to take account of the results of assessments, including focusing on the whole person their feelings, skills and barriers; recognising the influences of assessment on motivation and self esteem of learners as well as learners taking responsibility for their own learning which in turn can help with knowledge retention and the need for learners to be able to assess themselves and understand fully how to improve through peer and self assessment and reflection. This helps with the next steps needed for further learning. AFL is a particular view of learning that believes all learners can improve and achieve their full potential, that ability is incremental not fixed. Within these forms of assessment there are different types of assessments that are used at different points throughout a learners learning journey and these different assessments may be formal or informal. Formal assessments are usually based on the results of standardised tests or other exams that are done under controlled conditions, the criteria is often set by the awarding body or organisation and the results can contribute to the final grade. Informal assessments are methods of measuring a learner’s performance by casually watching their behaviour or using other informal assessment methods, they check ongoing progress and the criteria are often decided by the tutor. The main types of assessments are; diagnostic/initial, formative and summative and ipsative. Within my experience at the training centre of the YMCA and within most HE organisations the first assessment that learners would come across is Diagnostic/Initial assessment. Initial assessment occurs prior or at the start of a course. It is used to find a starting point for learning, making the development of a learning plan possible. During initial assessment you can ‘start to build up a picture of an individual’s skills, achievements, interests, previous learning experiences and goals, and the learning needs associated with these goals. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). Diagnostic assessment also occurs at the beginning of a course and then when needed throughout. It is used to assess more specific skills like a ‘skills check’ would and to identify learning strengths and needs. Diagnostic assessment also helps to ‘determine learning targets and appropriate teaching and learning strategies to achieve them. ’ Skills for life improvement programme (2008). These two assessments types are often done at the same time and are closely linked, together they help the tutor and learner build a clear picture of the individual to personalise the learning and develop an ILP. When under taking these two assessment types a range of methods should be used to ensure the learner is able to show their strengths and weaknesses adequately. Use assessment methods that are relevant to the individuals interests (vocational area or life interests), select a blend of methods to suit them and their circumstances and try to gather information from other areas, for example, observe the learner on a work placement if possible. There are many assessment methods that can be used during initial and diagnostic assessment, here are a few: enrolment forms – these can give you the basic information about an individual, however, they may not put all relevant information on this form such as any learning difficulties or cultural needs. APL – this can mean there would be no need for the learner to duplicate work done previously but the criteria may not be the same and you would need to check currency of the work. Interviews – these allow tutor and learner to get to know each other and discuss any issues in more depth whilst enabling the tutor to see how much a learner knows. The disadvantage with this method may be that the planning has not been done carefully or thoroughly to ensure the consistency of questions between learners and some learners may not react well in this circumstance. Observations – this gives a broader picture of the learner and how they perform in a range of contexts giving insights into their strengths, team work etc. Disadvantages with this method are time constraints and if a learner feels nervous of being observed you may not get a true picture of their abilities. Online assessments/tests – results are generated instantly, easily blended with other methods and can take place at a time to suit all parties. However, clear targets need to be set, may be technical problems and what is actually being assessed. Is the learner computer literate? At the YMCA I devised a short general computer knowledge diagnostic assessment worksheet for my learners. This worksheet consisted f naming different parts of a computer along with writing a brief description of what each listed software could be used for. I used this after an initial assessment informal discussion with individual learners to ascertain their level of computer knowledge as well as a basic writing assessment. The diagnostic worksheet then allowed me to assess their knowledge further so that I could devise ILP’s with each learner to cover any gaps in their knowledge, help them to achieve agreed goals and to offer further support to those learners that required help with writing skills. The next assessment type that may be used is Formative assessment. This type of assessment is ongoing during learning and is used to ‘tell the student how the learning is proceeding as well as telling the teacher about the success of the teaching. ’ Reece & Walker (2007). Formative assessments are used to enhance learning; therefore the goal of formative assessment is to improve. William and Black believe that what a learner is taught is reflected in what they are assessed. Formative assessment can be characterised as Assessment for learning. This type of assessment can produce; non-threatening results as they are scored but not always graded, direct and immediate feedback, structured information as tutors can see success and plan improvements and learners can see progress as well as experience success and they produce ways to improve by allowing the tutor to revisit areas that need further development and allowing learners to have additional support or time on areas they performed less well on. As this type of assessment is ongoing many methods are used. In my subject area of ICT within the YMCA the courses are not accredited so there is no awarding body’s criteria to adhere to. As ICT is a very ‘hands on’ subject I use observations often in formative assessments. Gravells (2009) suggests that the advantages to observations are ‘enables skills to be seen in action, learners can make a mistake†¦ enabling them to realise what they have done wrong, can assess several aspects of a qualification at the same time (holistic). According to Reece & Walker (2007) there are four types of direct observation assessments, global impression – look and describe what you see, this method has no structure and lacks reliability. Semi-structured – a number of open questions relevant to the tasks, answers to the questions are written either during, or after observation. Rating schedules – tutor rates a performance on say a five point scale, pe rsonal interpretation of scale can cause unreliability and finally Checklists – mark whether a specific feature of the task was or was not carried out. My observations are mainly informal and consist of watching what the learner is doing and asking questions about why they have done something a certain way etc. When I have done a formal observation I have used the checklist formative assessment as I agree with Reece & Walker that this type of observation is less open to personal interpretation, the criteria is clearly set out and if being used by the learners as peer or self assessment they have a clear understanding of what is required and what is to be achieved. Other methods I have used in both teaching at the YMCA and South Cheshire College have been questioning (both direct and indirect oral), multiple choice – as these can test a variety of levels in blooms taxonomy from knowledge, understanding and higher, discussions – these allow freedom of views and learning from peers, presentations – assess skills, knowledge and can help with confidence but if a group presentation some learners may do more work than others so it is important to assess individual contributions, assignments and projects – these help to ensure that the knowledge has been understood and retained, tutorials – used to discuss progress and address any issues, tests – assesses skills and knowledge, however, some learners do not perform well in test conditions and may need additional support to overcome this or if possible an alternative assessment method, traffic lights – used as a visual means to show understanding. During the courses at the YMCA in the next academic year I intend to introduce an informal mid-unit assessment. This will allow time to review, reflect and revisit any areas of weak understanding or areas that learners have struggled with. If assessments are left till the end of the course there is no way to revisit these unlearnt areas. I am aware of online assessments but as of yet have not used these, mainly because the courses at the college that I have been teaching on do not use them and at the YMCA there is not reliable facilities for online assessment/testing. I do intend to look further into this aspect of assessment once the new premises at the YMCA are finished and I think that the learners would benefit from online assessments as these can assess both cognitive and practical abilities. However this method of assessment needs to be monitored carefully to ensure who is actually taking the test/assessment, is the software or hardware up to date and that extensive objective testing is not done as this can result in learners guessing the answers. Summative assessment is on completion of learning. This may be at the end of a course or programme or may be at the end of a unit or topic. It is mainly used to see if the learner has learnt the material and is capable of going onto further learning. Brown (2001) suggests the purpose of summative assessment is ‘to give a license to proceed to the next stage of graduation (certification). ’ Reece & Walker suggest that summative assessment is ‘to satisfy the needs of society. ’ Both of these quotes imply that this type of assessment is about grades and is to show that the learner has the knowledge and at what level (pass, merit, distinction) to continue or not (failed). These grades do not always tell the learner why they achieved a certain level or why they failed. Summative assessment can be characterised as Assessment of learning. Many of the methods used for summative assessment are the same as formative assessment but often done in a formal setting rather than an informal setting. During my teaching at the YMCA I have used the following methods for summative assessments; Individual presentation – knowledge, skills, creativity, performance, design and communication, exam – demonstrating knowledge and understanding, performing procedures and demonstrating techniques, Portfolio – managing and developing self, oral exam and observations – for learners with reading and writing difficulties. Ipsative assessment can be used as a form of self assessment. It is assessing present performance against the prior performance of the person being assessed. They do not always relate to any external criteria or make comparisons to the performance of other learners. My teaching at the YMCA I have used this type of assessment mainly during feedback sessions, where learners and I will discuss previous work and present work, what has improved and what could still be improved upon. Another way to implement ipsative assessment is to encourage learners to assess their own work, to select the best pieces for their records of achievements folders and to identify areas for improvement. This can then be continued with self-evaluation of progress during sessions/lessons and on specific tasks. There are many more methods to use during assessments each with its own advantages and disadvantages, such as; Accreditation of prior learning (APL), buzz groups, case studies, discussions, e-assessments, homework, journals, professional discussion, projects, puzzles and quizzes, reports and dissertations, role play, tutorials, tests, etc. The main disadvantage to any assessment method is that many learners and tutors may not be use to them as some of them may be new and innovative or there may be a lack of technology available. By ensuring tutors are up to date with assessment methods and a variety of methods are used learners will benefit by being able to fairly show their strengths and weaknesses in a range of circumstances, therefore, it is best practice to use a blend of methods to get the best and most reliable results for your learners. Two other types of assessments I would like to investigate further in this paper are Self and peer assessment. These are often combined or considered together and have many potential advantages in common. Peer assessment can help self assessment. By judging the work of others, learners gain insight into their own performance. ‘Peer and self assessment help students develop the ability to make judgements, a necessary skill for study and professional life. ’ Brown, Rust & Gibbs (1994). Black & Wiliam’s research ‘Inside the black box’ concludes that self assessment is an essential component of formative assessment if it is to be used to improve student learning. I agree with the findings of this research in that self assessment is a skill that should be encouraged and developed as it can have a positive effect on learners performance and motivation. Peer and self assessments are used to enhance learning by increasing learner involvement in the learning process, increasing social interactions and trust in others, facilitation of individual feedback and to help focus learners on the process rather than the product. For both peer and self assessment to be successful Black states that ‘criteria must be understood by students†¦. students must be taught to collaborate in peer assessment for this helps develop objectivity for self-assessment†¦.. students should be taught to assess their progress as they proceed keeping the aims and criteria in mind†¦. This means that tutors should plan lessons that will teach learners to collaboration skills and make it visible as a part of the classroom, criteria could be provided by the tutor or devised by the learners and could also include a mark scheme, making these judgements about another person’s work can clarify a learners own understanding of the subject. During teaching at the YMCA I used self and peer assessments in group projects. I gave the project a final mark but used these assessment methods to give individuals within the group marks. To do this I got the learners to peer assess each other and based my individual marks upon these peer assessments. However, I was aware that there could be problems with this method such as some learners being too generous with marks or too low with marks. To overcome these problems I checked the marking to ensure consistency throughout the group and set out clear mark schemes. Another method of self assessment I use is ‘learning loops’ Petty (2009). This is where at the beginning of the next piece of work the learner will write a target from the last piece of work and then work towards that target, then I will mark this work with that target in mind and comment as to whether the target was met or if any improvement was shown. This method was useful with my learners in getting them to reflect upon their own work and take responsibility for their own learning as well as helping with their motivation. I have also used an adaptation of the feedback sandwich, called the Peer assessment Hamburger (included in my portfolio). This assessment activity was given to the learners to assess each other’s work; they first had to write about something positive about the piece of work then something to work on and how to work on it, then something positive again. This method was successful in my group of learners as getting them to receive any form of constructive feedback or advice is difficult, so by praising first they were more willing to listen and act upon the points for improvement. This method also helped the learners to gain skills in judging and evaluating work which in turn helped with self assessment/evaluation techniques. It is important to follow up on the improvement points at a later stage to ensure that an improvement has been made or to offer further assistance or teaching in that area if necessary. These areas for improvement were also noted in ILP’s during tutorial sessions as ‘Medals and Missions’, medals are what has been done well this may be the work itself (product) or may be the effort and planning (process). Missions are information about what needs improving along with how to do this, they are not criticism but advice and help to close the gap between where learners are and their goals. I believe that peer and self assessment are two very important and useful methods of assessment as ‘whatever a person discovers himself is what they really know. ’ Shapiro (2003). A learner needs to know where they are in their learning, where they are going and how to get there, these two methods help learners to understand this and achieve much more. Feedback simply put is ‘the passing of information to the student of their ability to perform a task’ Reece & Walker (2009). Although feedback is about giving the learner information on how they have performed it is much more than this, it is about progression, motivation, encouragement, self-esteem and confidence, promoting communication, improving standards etc and is a two way process. During all the research I undertook for this part of my paper I found one thing in common throughout, that feedback is a very important and powerful tool in relation to achievement when done constructively and properly. ‘The most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback’ Hattie (1999). Feedback can be formal or informal, it can be written, verbal or online, and it can be given after an assessment or during a lesson or tutorial. Whichever form feedback takes it should be constructive, descriptive not judgemental, specific, fully understood and timely. Feedback is used often during formative assessment and Sadler (1989) suggests ‘three elements of enhanced feedback are; recognition of the desired goal, evidence about present position and some understanding of a way to close the gap between the two. ’ This means the learner needs to have some understanding or concept of the goal being aimed for, learners need to be shown the comparison with current level of performance with that of the goal and learners should be shown ways in which the gap between the goal and current level can be closed. It is important to prepare learners for feedback to help them gauge how well they are doing, to actively involve them in the assessment process and to help them to understand the feedback. To do this you should agree the purpose of the feedback prior to the assessment, state the type of feedback to be used, show learners how their work. Written feedback is important for giving positive encouragement and correcting errors but is more effective if this feedback is accompanied with dialogue where possible. This dialogue or discussion can improve learner involvement and ownership of the feedback and create a deeper understanding of what was done well and what can be done to close any gaps. Also Gravells (2009) states that ‘you need to appreciate that how you write it may not be how they read it. It is easy to interpret words or phrases differently to what is intended. ’ Therefore when using written feedback you need to use a level of language suitable for your learners, make it clear how the required outcomes were met and what to do next. Using some form of feedback sandwich or hamburger is a good form for written feedback as this nestles the negative between two positives. This makes it more likely to be listened to and acted upon, whereas starting with a negative can stop the learner from listening/reading anything further. Another form of written feedback is comment only marking, this provides learners with a focus for progression instead of a reward or punishment for their ego as marks can. Comments can be made in books, in a learning diary or journal for example. Learning journals are useful for tutors and learners to track the progression of these comments and see improvements. During feedback sessions there should be time for questions as these will help to open up the assessment process and eliminate ambiguity. Using questions to ask learners how they feel they have done prior to giving them your feedback allows them to consider their own achievements, ‘gives them the opportunity to realise their own mistakes, or reflect on what they could do differently. ’ Gravells (2009). Also learners may need time to reflect upon the feedback they have been given and then have questions to it later, time to discuss these questions at the earliest opportunity should be made. Another important point in the feedback process is timing. Feedback should be given as soon as possible whilst the task and goal are still fresh in both the tutor and learners minds. Peer feedback is another useful form of feedback. This enhances learners active engagement in learning, can increase the amount of feedback they receive and they can receive it quicker than a tutor can give sometimes, it uses higher level thinking skills as it requires explanation and justification. The process of reviewing someone else’s work can help learners understand what is considered good work and increase their ability to achieve. Peer feedback should be monitored carefully as not all learners will be accustom to this and there may be some friction amongst your learners. To help overcome this allow practice sessions on peer assessment and feedback, set clear assessment criteria, stress that all will gain as much from reviewing the work of their peers as from any feedback they receive, use tutor-selected groups to peer assess and feedback work, have multiple peers review work, reviewers should feedback immediately, orally preferably, and tutors should explain clearly the best feedback method of Medal and Mission as suggested by Black & Wiliam. As well as giving feedback on assessments you should review learner’s progress at regular intervals on a one-to-one basis. This will allow you to motivate learners, plan for future learning and assessments, discuss any concerns, learners can ask questions, enhance learner involvement, update ILP, review your lessons and ‘differentiate effectively, ensuring that the needs of your learners are met, and that they are being challenged to develop to their full potential. ’ Gravells (2009). The review should be arranged at a suitable time for both the learner and tutor, be used to plan future assessments and targets with SMART objectives and you should ensure that all relevant records are available, etc. When doing any type of assessment, review or feedback there are records that need to be kept, this is important ‘otherwise how would you know what your learners have achieved? ’ Gravells (2009). Assessment records are used by tutors, your organisation, awarding body, regulatory authority, stakeholders and learners. Records can be electronic, paper or a mixture of both. The types of records I keep at the YMCA are; ILP’s, feedback sheets, tracking sheets, assessment forms, lesson plans, schemes of work, evaluations and review sheets. These records are kept in their original forms and used to help me plan future lessons and make any adaptations to existing courses if necessary, keep track of learners marks to be able to see any progression and if a learner loses work I have a record of when it was handed in, marked and what mark it got, what feedback they received to help learners know what they did well and what needs further improvement and how to do this improvement also feedback sheets can be used by an IV or EV to check your judgements and assessments are fair, and to keep a record of learners progress, areas that need attention, learning difficulties etc if any, agreed goals and targets. Whatever method or type of record is used there is legislation that must be adhered to with regards to these records and the information held within them. These legislations are; Data protection Act (1998) and Freedom of information act (2000). These acts cover how the information about living eople is used and stored, and g ive learners the right to see any information held about them, so tutors need to be aware that anything they write about a learner they can see at any time. Records should be kept organised, up to date, confidential, legible, accurate, secure and only kept for as long as necessary. Once these records are no longer needed they should be destroyed in a secure manner such as double shredding and bagging for paper based records, and hard drive cleaners to ensure computer based records are completely deleted. Assessment is a large part of the work teachers, tutors and trainers; it is an ongoing process throughout a learners educational journey and can be the most difficult part of the teaching process. There is recognition here that assessment is more than an isolated judgement of a specific performance; that is should be integrated into a system of reviewing, recording and reporting achievement which teacher and student are at the centre of. ’ Armitage et al (2007). Bibliography Books: Armitage et al (2007), Teaching and training in post-compulsory education, 3rd Ed, Berkshire, Open University Press Gravells. A. (2009), Principles and practice of assessment in the lifelong learning sector, Exeter, Learning matters Ltd Hattie, J. (1999), Influences on student learning, University of Auckland, New Zealand: Inaugural professional lecture paper Petty G (2009), Teaching today, 4th Ed, Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Ltd Ramsden. P, (2003), Learning to teach in higher education, 2nd Ed, Routledge. Reece, I. & Walker, S. (2007), Teaching, training and learning a practical guide, 6th Ed revised, Tyne and Wear, Business Education Publishers ltd Shapiro, (2003), Case studies in constructivist classrooms and teaching, Lanham MD, Scarecrow press. Websites: Assessment reform group (1999), available from http://nationalstrategies. standards. dcsf. gov. uk/secondary/assessment/assessmentforlearningafl [accessed 06 July 2010] Brown, Rust & Gibbs, (1994), available from www. lgu. ac. uk/deliberations/ocsd-pubs/div-ass5. html [accessed 04 July 2010] Department for education and skills, available from www. dfes. ov. uk [accessed 04 July 2010] Excellence gateway, available from www. excellencegateway. org. uk [accessed 04 July 2010] Petty. G, Feedback: Medal and missions [online] Available from www. geoffpetty. com/feedback. html [accessed 05 July 2010] Queens University Belfast, available from www. qub. ac. uk/directorate s/AcademicStudentAffairs/CentreforEducationalDevelopment/Resources/Assessment [accessed 06 July 2010] Sadler, (1989), available from www. leeds. ac. uk/educol/documents/00001862. htm [accessed 03 July 2010] The Higher Education Academy, available from www. heacademy. ac. uk/ourwork/teachingandlearning/assessment [accessed 06 July 2010]

Employment Barriers of Ex Offenders Essay

Finding Employment quickly is a priority for individuals leaving prison, and is usually mandated as a parole requirement. Ex offenders often require some flexibility in their jobs, in order to meet court ordered or parole mandates, such as drug counseling, and therapy, and to meet regularly with their parole officers. Returning prisoners also enter a competitive labor market with a combination of literacy problems, limited skills, and limited experience . Therefore they have limited access to job offering career ladders, mobility, training, or a job security. The lowest paying, lowest skilled jobs are the easiest to secure. Many make what they can of these opportunities because need to work to meet the obligations of their release. An ex offender is a person who has been convicted of criminal offense and has completed their sentence either in prison or in the community. Over 600,000 people are being released from prisons each year. Many suffer from various of serious difficulties as they attempt to reenter society. Among the most challenging situations they face is that of reentry in the labor market. Employment can be called a cornerstone of successful supervision. Employment for offenders reduces recidivism. It has been shown to be an important factor in reintegration, especially for men over the age of 27 years of age who characterize most individuals released from prison. Offenders reentering the community have a better chance if they are given enough support to stay out of trouble for the first 6 months following release. Offenders are destined for minimum wage, unskilled, menial jobs. Lack of education and job skills are the primary reasons, but the problem goes beyond that. Criminal convictions stigmatize offenders, directly limiting their future work opportunities and consequently encouraging them to return to crime for a source of income. Not only is it the predominant community attitude against knowingly hiring individuals with felony convictions, but strictly enforced laws prohibits licensing of such persons in many occupations. When you help offenders improve themselves and develop a sense of responsibility and self-esteem, employment opportunities will become more readily available A barrier is something that makes it more difficult for a person to job search or successfully complete the hiring process. Employment fills a vital need for most individuals; it provides income, social connection, and feelings, of societal contribution and self worth. For ex offenders returning to the community after a period of incarcerations, employment can make the difference between succeeding and returning to prison. (ISEEK) There are a numerous myths and truths with employing ex offenders: Myth: Ex offenders are only capable of doing manual or repetitive work Truth: Ex offenders represent a cross section of workforce. Many of them have valuable, in demand skills and qualifications Myth: Ex offenders are not educated  Truth: Nearly one in three have graduated from high school and or college Myth: Ex offenders are unreliable Truth: Ex offenders are as reliable as other workers. Myth: Once a criminal, always a criminal Truth: Ex offenders cannot prove themselves unless someone gives them a second chance Myth: Someone will always have to watch over an ex offender Truth: Ex offenders are people who paid the price for their crime and most of them want to make a fresh start. Ex offenders do not require extra supervision on the job Myth: Other employees will not want to work with them Truth: There is no need for employees other than line managers to know of the employee’s past Myth: The existence of a criminal conviction is an indication of being trustworthy Truth: Many people assume that ex offenders have basic character flaw that is not found in the normal population. Myth: Our company policy excludes ex offenders because of the type of work involved or legal restrictions. Truth: It is common misunderstanding those certain professions and certifications bar people with criminal records, just to name a few. Ex offenders have a variety of characteristics that greatly limits their employability and earnings which include limited education and cognitive skills, limited work experience, and substance abuse and other physical and mental health problems. Ex offenders face significant barriers to employment after release from prison. Barriers include employer attitudes towards individuals with criminal records, legal barriers, educational and financial obstacles, substance abuse and health issues, and lack of stable housing. The work experience that they had accumulated prior to incarceration was generally well below what it might have been in the absence of their participation in crime On top of that periods of time they have spent incarcerated have impeded them from gaining any additional private sector experience, an no doubt help erode whatever job skills, positive work habits or connections to employers they might have had beforehand. Thus, if and when they do attempt to reenter the labor market after incarceration, the poor skills and very limited work experience that they bring with them limits both employability and earnings potential. Most offenders reenter the outside world with little other than $ 40 of gate money or no money, no housing, no credit, no transportation, no driver’s license, no documents, no insurance, and no appropriate clothes for job interviewing and work settings. They also have limited access to health care services. Finding a job is difficult when you’re struggling to meet basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing. Many community based organization and support groups, such as Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, churches and other nonprofit organization, assist offenders with such basic needs. Ron 2005) A large fraction of these men suffer from substance abuse and other health problems. Among the small fractions of ex offenders who are women, numbers suffer from depression and or past sexual abuse. All of these factors limits employability because they limit the basic job readiness that employers almost universally seek as a pre-condition for employment. Besides these skills a nd health problems, most ex offenders are minorities, nearly half are African American, an nearly a fifth are Latino and Asian. To the extent that minorities continue to suffer labor market discrimination, this will further impede the ability of ex offenders to gain employment or earn higher wages. Most return to low income and predominantly minority communities that have relatively few unskilled jobs, and to peer groups who presumably provide relatively a few contacts to the world of legitimate work. (H. J. Holzer 2003) In addition to the barriers these individuals face have little control, the attitudes and choices that they make may also limit their employment outcomes. After months and possibly years of incarceration, few ex offenders reenter society with a positive I can do it attitude. Many feel worthless, hopeless, and unwanted. Their negative attitudes are obvious to family members, friends, and employers. These attitudes affect their motivation to take action that lead to success in finding a job. They are filled with anxiety and uncertainty, uncertainty of how people will receive them, uncertain about their families, uncertain about their housing and financial situations, uncertain whether or not they will find a job, succeed on the outside or become another recidivism statistic. Ex offenders is a significant group in the labor market. It has been estimated that they constitute up to one third of the working population. At least 90 per cent of those leaving prison enter unemployment and they comprise between 2 and 3 percent of the average monthly in flow to the unemployment pool. Ex offenders re substantially more likely to remain unemployed in the long term rather taking a number of short term jobs. It is likely that a large number of these men might be able to find some kind of work if they search long enough, but at jobs that pay very low wages and provide few benefits or chances for upward mobility. Many ex offenders may simply choose to forego these employment options, in favor of illegal opportunities or more casual work. They may accept these jobs temporarily, but may not retain them for very long. Their attachments to the legitimate labor market might be quite tenuous over the longer term, both as a result of these relatively unappealing options, or perhaps because of their own estrangement over several years from the world of work. Thus, the limited employment outcomes that ex offenders experience will at least partly reflect barriers, perhaps compounded by their own attitudes towards and response to these circumstances. The barriers faced by ex offenders because of their very limited skills, poor health, and race or area of residence often reflect a difference between these characteristics and those sought by employers on the demand side of the labor market. Education is often a key to success. It frees offenders from many barriers to employment. Ex offenders tend to have low levels of education, lack many skills associated with better educated people. The poor skills and work experience of most offenders generally conflict with the skills and credentials sought by employers, even when trying to fill relative unskilled jobs. Those with substance abuse an other health problems are the least likely to be job ready, and will likely face few job offers or high discharge rates upon being hired. (Ron 2005) The federal government, as well as many state and local governments, place special legal restrictions on people with criminal records. Many drug offenders are prohibited from acquiring public housing or receiving other forms of public assistance. While employers cannot discriminate against individuals solely on the basis of their criminal record, they can refuse to hire if they can show that your background will negatively affect their workplace and business. State and local governments may include additional restrictions on certain opportunities, especially any position that deal with public safety. Finding work can be a challenge for some job seekers with criminal backgrounds. Having a criminal record can undermine employment prospects so that ex offenders are often penalized by the courts and later in the labor market. Having a job is widely recognized by ex offenders and those that work with them as the single most important factor in their resettlement and in preventing reoffending. It helps to know which barriers might be in the way and how to handle employer attitudes. Employers perform checks to gain additional information about ex offenders and checking seems to have no effect on hiring ex offenders for those employers not legally required to perform checks. Ex offenders looking for work often have a harder time than other job seekers. A felony conviction can be considered a barrier to employment. While employment is critical to ex offenders successful reintegration, prospective employers have their own set of interests when considering whether to hire an ex offender. Stoll,2008) Most employers are unaware of the tax incentives, bonding programs, and intermediary organizations currently in place to facilitate employment of returning offenders. Early work experience sometimes leads to wage growth over time, though this has not been particularly true among welfare recipients and others. Employers generally seem interested in the support system that seek to bridge the gap between ex offenders and prospective employers, but need to know more about the programs and how they fit with their needs. Although, many employers like to give a qualified es offender a second chance, they are averse to taking risks that they feel could threaten their workplace or reputation. In spite of the numerous barriers to employment of ex offenders, there is reason for some degree of optimism. Employers who had hired ex offenders reported mostly positive experiences. A great number of employers are reluctant to hire individuals with a past, citing lack of skills and work history, untrustworthiness, and fear of liability for negligent hiring, among other things. Criminal record information has the potential to present unintended barriers for offenders seeking employment. Across the country, states have provided employers with varying degrees of access to criminal record information on prospective and current employees. Advocates for limiting the availability of criminal record argue that providing such information to employers unfairly discriminates against ex offenders an makes it more difficult for them to obtain employment. Many employers argue that they should know who their employees are and whether they pose an unnecessary risk to the work place. (Holzer 2003) The United States Congress created two financial incentive programs to benefit employers who hire ex-offenders. One program gives an employer a tax break of $2,400 once an ex-offender has been hired and has worked for a certain number of hours. The other provides fidelity insurance bonds as an incentive to hire an ex-offender who might normally be considered high risk by mainstream insurance companies. These programs are often under-utilized. As a provider, you should educate your employer contacts about these programs and inform them that the State or your organization can assist them with the paperwork. Some employers have reported that they were â€Å"on the fence† about hiring an ex-offender, but the financial incentives â€Å"sealed the deal. † (Stoll 2008) Another program is The Federal Bonding Program issues fidelity bonds which serve as insurance policies for employers. Bonding protects an employer in case of theft, forgery, larceny, or embezzlement of money or property by an employee covered by the bond. The bond coverage is usually $5,000-$10,000, free for an employer, and good for up to one year. The bond becomes effective the first day of employment. Federal Bonding Program as an employer job-hire incentive that guaranteed the job honesty of at-risk job seekers. Job seekers who have in the past committed a fraudulent or dishonest act, or who have demonstrated other past behaviour casting doubt upon their credibility or honesty, very often are rejected for employment due to their personal backgrounds. Their past life experience presents an obstacle to their future ability to secure employment. More specifically, employers view these applicants as being â€Å"at-risk† and potentially untrustworthy workers. This fear is further heightened by the fact that Fidelity Bond insurance commercially purchased by employers to protect against employee dishonesty usually will not cover at-risk persons because they are designated by insurance companies as being not bondable. As a result, these job applicants are routinely denied employment. Carter 2007) Ex-offenders, including anyone with a record of arrest, conviction or imprisonment, and anyone who has ever been on probation or parole, are at-risk job applicants. When you combine figures for the US inmate population and the offender population in the free community who are now on probation or parole, the total number of persons under correctional supervision approaches 7 million individuals. More than 600,000 inmates are released from prison or jail annually. Past experiences reveal that 67% of them will be recidivists. Failure to become employed after release is a major factor contributing to the high rate of recidivism. Having a record of arrest, conviction or imprisonment functions as a significant barrier to employment since employers generally view ex-offenders as potentially untrustworthy workers and insurance companies usually designate ex-offenders as being not bondable for job honesty. (U. S. Department of Justice) There is restriction to the federal bonding program; workers must meet the State’s legal age for working. The job usually is to be for at least 30 hours per week. Workers must be paid wages with Federal Tax automatically deducted from their pay check. Self employed persons cannot be covered. A total of $5,000. 00 bond coverage is usually issued, with no deductible amount for the employer. The employer gets 100% insurance coverage. Larger bond amounts can be issued if the certified agency issuing the bonds has acquired a special bond package and has determined a larger bond amounts are appropriate.

Factors That Influence the Development of Individual’s Self Concept Essay

Income can influence the development of individual’s self-concept in a negative and positive way whereby people with good income with be able to live a luxurious life-style, for example will be able to afford good healthy balance diet, expensive cloths, shoes and jewellery able to afford good expensive accommodations with nice furniture, expensive cars, private hospitals, can afford their children to go to private schools which will them the advantage to good education and will be able to reach their full potential in life; can afford to go on holidays. But most importantly, possessions are not the only important thing in life, as long as one is able to maintain basic standard of living. on the other people with low income will even find it difficult to maintain the basic needs of life and this will their self-esteem especially if they are surrounding by images of people who have a lot of wealth. They will be restricted from a lot of things for example, will not be able to afford nice cloths for them and their children, will not be able to afford nice secured accommodation, not be able to access higher education and in terms of sickness they will have to be on the NHS waiting until is the time for them to be treated because they cannot afford to go to private hospitals to be treated or seen by a doctor. This is why so many people on low income are dying due to health problem because they cannot afford private hospitals so they have to wait on the NHS waiting list for a year or more meanwhile the sickness is getting worse and if they are unlock by the time the NHS get to them they would have been dead. Therefore, money in an important factor that influence the development of individual’s self-concept. Media edia means things like newspapers, television, internet, sites and music and these may influence the development of individual’s self-concept in that they positively enable us to have knowledge on what is happening around the world as well as playing a big role in the development of especially teenagers’ self-esteem and self confidence in relation to how they perceive their body image and beauty because media can alternation how to look beautiful by making them eat less to maintain their body figure, body transformations an so on thereby developing their self- esteem and confidences. On the other hand media can influences the way we think and feel about ourselves as it affect the person’s perception of body image and present them with an unrealistic view of how their bodies should look like thereby making them not to appreciate who they are, causing them always want to look like others and so begin to copy what they do and how they like as well as hoe they dress hence leading them to attempt unhealthy diet that is eating less because they do not want to gain weight as they want to be models, get stressed with money to buy designer clothes and so on and if they fail to achieve what their hearts desire, their self confidence will decline as well as having low self-esteem. Also when we watch media we tend to hate certain features of our appearance for example hate your nose and admire another person seen on media causing you to go for face transformations like plastic surgeries which may have an impact on your general health as time goes on because it may cause you to develop health issues sues as developing cancer, and also the feeling that we are not good or beautiful makes us unhappy and hence gets withdrawn. Family The family in which a person is brought up in plays an important role in influencing the development of someone’s self concept because when members of your family for example your parent love and care for you, it can make you feel good about yourself and develop a sense of belonging as well as self awareness. Also parent who praise and reward their children for what they have done contribute to the development of their self-concept because rewards and praises make them love and believe in themselves that they can also do things something which makes them have a feeling being useful people as well as developing their self confidences. On the other hand poor relationship between parents and children with in the family may make children lack confidence as well as as feel unloved and valued something which can result them in not being able to form long lasting relationships in adolescent or adulthood because of the effect that was cause during their childhood of not being loved and therefore they are passing on what they experienced during childhood making them having no love for anyone. However family members who abuse and neglect their children, this affect their self-concept because it makes them feel unloved, and insecure as well as having a feeling of not belonging in the family causing them to always feel withdrawn, and isolated leading to to develop low self-esteem and having negative image about themselves as they may see themselves as being useless, not wanted and not worth of living hence leading to suicide attempt and children who think poorly about themselves always have a hard time on finding solutions to problems. Education education is another factor that influences the way we feel about ourselves in the way that the person’s idea of how they are is strongly influenced by the experience at school and later experiences at college or university can also change what we think about ourselves. However this depends on which school we have attended, which experiences we have faced and how successful we have been because when we perform well in school and be praised for that which we have achieved, it develops a sense of confidence in ourselves as well as making us feel good about ourselves by making us feel that we are important people to the society thereby creating a positive self-image. But when we do not meet the expectations of education, we tend to develop negative attitudes about ourselves, for example we begin doubting our abilities to progress, we get discouraged, we loose confidence and self-esteem thereby making us become, withdrawn, and have a feeling of not belonging especially when with those who have achieved careers through education hence affecting our self concept. Also educational achievement is a positive influence on self-image because it increase out self-esteem as well as forming a positive self-image leaving a person with confidence feeling in our abilities and rise to challenges. It also influences us because it involves mixing with other people and we may compare our selves with them, learn theories and new ideas from them something which can help us to understand our lives. Peer pressure During adolescent stage, teenagers rely much on their friends and most of them follow what their friends do hence friends becoming a major influence on the development of the person’s self-concept because they can support their friend’s existing attitudes and values thereby making him/her feel good about his/her self and gaining confidence as well as making you feel you belong to their group as they support you. Also peer pressure can lead to the development of a positive image by encouraging you on how to dress nicely as well as helping you to choose which outfit can make you look nice because if you are smartly dressed, it can make you feel good inside and have confidence in what ever you do. Peer pressure also influence the way we behave in society by making us copy their behaviours whether they are good or bad just because we want to fit in their group and a sense of belonging and if you do not behave the way they want you, they may exclude you from a certain social group making you feel bad, unacceptable or failure and as a result you become withdrawn and isolated hence affecting our social development. Conclusion: there are different factors that can influence the development of individual’s self-concept and they can be influenced positively or negatively it all depends on the individual. When it comes to children and teenagers the parents have an important role to play in their children’s life; you as a parent suppose to set up a high standard behaviour and self-discipline because your children will be watching if you are a parent that wants to live life any how that will play a big role on your child/children’s behaviour; they will never respect you as a parent and they will start to look up to other people outside and also look for a role model that will be a big influence in their lives making you a second class citizen. It is therefore important to train yourself to live a good and valued life style so that you can be respected by your children, family and other people outside. You as an adult, and your children will feel good and proud when you are respected and at the same-time you are a role model to your children.

Jainism vs. Sikhism Essay

Read the assigned chapters for the week and complete the following table. Be as specific as possible when identifying practices, beliefs, rituals, and historical elements. Cite sources in APA formatting. Core Beliefs Jainism Sikhism 1. Jainism, believing that reality and existence are eternal, does not believe in a Creator force or entity (Molloy, 2013). 1. Sikhism believes in a strict Monotheism, and that all names and titles that humans apply to God are limited because God is beyond all human conception (Molloy, 2013). 2. Jainism believes in the existence of Karma and its influence on the cycle of Rebirth. Unlike other religions that share this belief, Jains believe that more than just animals and insects possess a spirit that is subject to karma and rebirth (Molloy, 2013). 2. Sikhs believe in reincarnation, and that karma influences the cycle of rebirth, with the goal being to accumulate enough karma to obtain freedom from the cycle of reincarnation and be absorbed by God (Molloy, 2013). 3. Jainism believes in five ethical positions that are required for monks and nuns (to varying degrees) and recommended to laypersons. The First is Nonviolence, also known as Ahimsa, which requires the believer to bring no harm to any life-form. The second is Nonlying, as the Jains believe the lying or exaggeration may bring harm to the parties involved. The third is Nonstealing, the desire to steal comes from being attached, to the object or the world, and can cause pain to others. The forth is Chastity, among the monks and nuns it is taken as full celibacy, and among the laypeople, as  fidelity to the believers marital partner. Finally, the fifth is nonattachment, that to progress spiritually, the believer must limit their attachment to worldly objects and people, taken to the extreme among some monks to mean detachment from all including family, and clothes (Molloy, 2013). 3. Sikhs believe in the five sacred components of attire by those initiated into the Khalsa. The first is the Kesh, or uncut hair and beard, with a turban worn by the males. The second is the Khanga, or wooden hair comb, to be worn with the hair at all times. The third is the Kach, a pair of special cotton undergarments. The fourth is the Kirpan, a sword or dagger that is worn at all time. And lastly the Kara, a bracelet of steel worn to symbolize strength (Molloy, 2013). 4. The Jains believe that in the current cycle of the universe, 24 people have reached perfection and have escaped the cycle of rebirth, they are known as Tirthankara, and that they should be role-model and emulated, but not worshiped (Molloy, 2013). 4. Sikhs believe that the scriptures, known as Adi Granth, to contain the spirit of all the past Gurus of Sikhism and revere it as the last, and final guru. When faced with difficult and troubling questions, Sikhs believe that consulting the Adi Granth, or Guru Granth Sahib, by opening the book at random will provide answers (Molloy, 2013). 5. The Jains do believe in the presence of gods, but believe they are also subject to the karma and the cycle of rebirth, and that after they use their positive karma as gods, they are reborn as lesser beings again. Also that, while gods, they are not the Creators (Molloy, 2013). 5. Sikhs believe the use of Military Self-defense to protect themselves and the faith is morally correct. Such a position is unusual in the religious environment of India where nonviolence is common. (Molloy, 2013). Part 2 Respond to the following questions in 150 to 200 words: 1. What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most  important difference? Use specifics to support your answer. The most significant similarity between Jainism and Sikhism is their continued belief in karma and the cycle of rebirth. This similarity shows that while Sikhism may have been influenced by Islamic teachings, that both faiths have retained a non-linear idea of the progression of time that is integral to Hinduism. The most important difference is each of the religion’s views of violence. The Jains believe in ahimsa, a requirement to bring no harm to anything that bear a living soul, monk and nuns going so far as to brush aside insects before walking so they are not stepped on, and the laypersons avoiding farming because plowing may cause harm to small animals and insects. The Sikhs, however, believe in the use of violence to defend them self’s and their faith, possessing within their faith a military order, the Khalsa, who wear a dagger or sword known as a kirpan at all times. This belief is also evident in the followers of Sikhism to join and participate in the militaries of the country they reside. (Molloy, 2013) 2. Consider the following statement: Sallekhana (â€Å"holy death†) violates the Jain principle of ahimsa because it is an act of violence against oneself. Using examples from Ch. 5 of your text, what points might a follower of Jainism make to argue against this statement? Ahimsa is the prohibition of causing harm. Ahimsa requires that all care must be taken so that one does not bring harm to another living soul, whether it is physical, mental, spiritual or emotional. To remain attached to the material, and the objects of this life will also bring spiritual harm to oneself. Sallekhana is an extension of the practice of fasting. The participant prepares himself for the next life by detaching from the current life, taking in only water and spiritual guidance. This practice is not a violent act against one’s body, but a natural progression at the end of one’s life. This extended fasting is only Sallekhana when willfully taken at the end of a full like as a culmination of one’s detachment from the material and as a sign of one’s virtue. Sallakhana is not an escape from one’s troubles in this life through suicide, but a releasing of this life in order to proceed to the next life in a proper fashion. (Molloy, 2013) References: Molloy, M. V. (2013). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Nill Companies, Inc.

Term paper( summarize articles) Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

( summarize articles) - Term Paper Example The two democrat presidential aspirants Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barak obama of Illinois voted against earmark project, there was also a symbolic vote against earmark by Mr. McCain and this was to pass a message across. There were those from both parties who voted in favor of earmark but they couldn't meet up to the 60 votes needed to proceed on the issue. Mr. McCain was not particularly happy with members from both parties who don't see earmark as a wasteful project. An open seat in the congress that has been long held by Republicans in the conservative district was taken over by a Democrat. This happened after a special election, and has given the party an early boost in its drive to get a higher majority inside the House of Representatives. Woody Jenkins, a newspaper publisher lost to Don Cazayoux, a state representative, 49 percent to 46 percent, in a keenly and closely contested race for a seat left open as a result of the retirement of Richard Baker, a Republican. Mr. Cazayoux overcame the Republicans' view of him as a "liberal" by showing himself a little different from Mr. Jenkins with regards to social issues, by locking horns with figures like Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, and Senator Barack Obama, who happen to share billing with him in a barrage of Republican attack advertisements.The Louisiana race was seen by the two parties' as an important test for the fall, given the fact that the district has been safe for Republicans for over three decades. a potential victory by Democrats is seen by them as a measure of Republican vulnerability; it is as an indication that it will be difficult to defend more than two dozen open seats that are in play in November, from the Republicans point of view. Mr. Cazayoux, who happens to be a low-key member of the State House and a one time prosecutor, matches the conservative model that Democrats deployed successfully in the 2006 elections when they took seats from Republicans. 4-Obama Wins Guam From NEW YOR TIMES By Sarah Wheaton Published:May 3, 2008 According to The Pacific Daily News, senator Obama won in Guam by a margin of only 7 votes. This result will probably not affect the outcome of the delegate calculations, given the proportional allocation of the delegates. Obama did pick up one superdelegate though, as a supporter of his was elected into the party's vice chairmanship position. 5-Narrow Victory for Obama in the Caucuses in Guam From NEW YORK TIMES By SARAH WHEATON Published: May 4, 2008 Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator Hillary Clinton by a margin of 7 votes to win the democratic caucuses in Guam. Delegates pledged to senator Obama received 2,264 votes, while those with Mrs. Clinton got 2,257 votes by the time hand-counting

Compare and contrast The Story of an hour and the House on Mango Essay

Compare and contrast The Story of an hour and the House on Mango Street - Essay Example Mallard is the victim of her torturing husband, whereas in the other story the lead character is the victim of poverty and the so-called hypocritical values of the society and class discrimination. Both the lead characters, which seem to be weak initially emerge as strong characters towards the end of the stories. We can say that these stories have a strong theme and they speak about the "Quest for Identity" of the female lead characters. In "The Story of an Hour", the narrator of the story is probably the writer herself. Being a woman and a true feminist she has handled this story in a very tender manner. The female protagonist, Mrs. Mallard comes from an upper class family. This is quite apparent from the way her house is described by the writer. The words like comfortable roomy armchair, an open square in front of the house, staircase, tall trees, twittering of birds and blue skies indicate that she lived a very comfortable life. But despite of all these comforts, she seems to be extremely unhappy with her life. In "The House on Mango Street", the name of the narrator is Esperanza. In the first chapter of the story the names of the narrator and her parents are not revealed. We come to know of their names after reading the entire novel. Contrary to the "The Story of an hour ", the female protagonist in this story comes from a poor class family, which is also apparent from the way the writer has described her house. She describes her house in the following words - "It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard, only four little elms the city planted by the curb. Out back is a small garage for the car we don't own yet and a small yard that looks smaller between the two buildings on either side. There are stairs in our house, but they're ordinary hallway stairs, and the house has only one washroom. Everybody has to share a bedroom-Mama and Papa, Carlos and Kiki, me and Nenny." From these lines we can very well understand what the state of the house as well as the state of mind of the girl is. Thus "The House on Mango Street" is a depiction of the thoughts of a small girl who is growing up to the stage of adolescence and has started realizing slowly the prejudices in the society. In "The Story of an Hour" the mood is gloomy and full of suspense and tragedy. When the sister of Mrs. Mallard, Josephine and her husband's friend Richard break the news of her husband's death to her, she is shocked initially and weeps in her sister's arms. But when she retires to her room and relaxes in her cozy armchair, she starts thinking about her past life. She lived in a society which had specific and strict rules of conduct, and she being from an elite class had to abide by the rules or the dogmas laid down by the society. She was dominated by her husband and did not have the liberty to take her own decisions. It is only when she sits alone, relaxed in the armchair that she becomes aware of her surroundings and their beauty. It shows that she was so engrossed in her married life and had so many preoccupations that she was oblivious to the true world. She was only used to living in the hypocritical world where money and social status had great significance. It is while she is enjoying her rediscovered identity and freedom and feeling happy, that she sees her husband

Policy Brief Project Descriptioin ( prison and privatization) Research Paper

Policy Brief Project Descriptioin ( prison and privatization) - Research Paper Example er prison privatization are analyzed by covering sub topics on economic perspectives, which include arguments in favor and against the policy through cost factor discussion, theoretical considerations on the policy, and how prison prisons are managed. The changed policy trend includes a case brief of Florida. The process of policy making is elaborately evaluated. Analysis includes the procurement process. Role of politics is analyzed. Role of social stakeholder groups on changing values and participation of various stakeholders on the policy highlights the mood of the public and haste of the government in allowing privatization. Conclusion is derived on taking a restraint approach. The trend of prison privatization started in mid-1980s in the United States. Taking the lead from thereon, the prison privatization not only grew quite fast in the federal, state and county correctional facilities, but also captured market for other fields of the prison industry like providing financial services for the building of new prisons and the maintenance of the existing prisons. Additionally, a number of such private companies have become public limited concerns by indulging in stock trading as well. The business of prison privatization has seen relatively more growth than other services businesses. Generally, privatization of prisons is rooted in â€Å"public choice† reasoning of the socio-political environment, created from the antigovernment mood during the Reagan era. It led to policy change in the initial stages of policy formulation, and in the operations of prisons. The issue of prison privatization has aired the notion that incarceration has become a tool in the hands of politicians for formulating policies on essential minimum imprisoning for the growth of prison privatization industry (Price a& Riccucci, 2005). Analysis of the data of the 50 states indicates the role of political elements like the political environment of a state and the political party governing