Correctional Retraining in the Navy: An Evaluation. Final Report, FY80-81

A project evaluated the effectiveness of two pilot Correctional Custody Units (CCUs), at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Coronado, California, and the Behavioral Skills Training Unit (BEST) at Norfolk, Virginia. These units were intended to retrain errant, but potentially productive, first-term enlistees through a program of discipline, motivational and military skills training, and counseling. The research compared overall effectiveness in terms of attrition, performance, and recidivism and identified factors related to outcome measures and success within each program. Programs were evaluated on followup measures of attrition, performance, and disciplinary actions, as well as on interview data collected. Results indicated that individuals improved in their performance following retraining but that the improvement decreased at six months. The frequency of disciplinary actions prior to and following retraining showed a significant decrease, indicating these retraining units were effective in countering disciplinary problems. Attrition data for one-year followup of these units showed that all units had a lower attrition than did a comparable control group, with CCU Coronado and BEST having substantially lower rates. Policy recommendations were developed for the CCUs/BEST units themselves, operational user commands, Navy corrections program, and further research and development. (Author/YLB)