Although it is generally accepted that the primary purpose of prison programs is to assist offenders in preparing for return to society, correctional administrators frequently believe that programs also serve an institutional control function. However, certain recent studies have questioned this common belief. In view of this controversy, the present research examines the impacts of a specific program (the Family Reunion Program) operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services on inmate discipline. This research found that this program appears to have a positive impact on encouraging inmates, who were originally disapproved for program participation due to disciplinary infractions, to improve their institutional behavior.
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Howser et al. (1984) studied this question.