Luke
09-10-2002, 02:23 AM
Educational Programs in Federal Prison
By Michael Santos
Educational programs are among the few activities individuals in federal prisons can pursue in order to bring meaning and hope to their lives. Such opportunities enable prisoners to escape the monotony of institutional life and to work on their personal goals and plans for their futures. Whether an individual spends time in formal classes or studies independently by using available library services, education departments are areas in the prison where the walls seem more permeable.
Prison libraries vary in size. Some of the older and larger ones hold upwards of 20,000 books; those in newer institutions usually contain only a few thousand. All federal prisons participate in the Interlibrary Loan System, though, which enables an inmate to order nearly any title he or she may choose from nearby libraries. So although gates, walls, and gun towers isolate federal prisoners from the wider community, they still are able to learn languages and travel the world and learn about different cultures through their access to literature and other educational materials.
Unfortunately, many of the men and women in prison have poor reading skills; some cannot read at all. This has always been a problem, yet the situation became even more severe after Congress passed the 1994 Comprehensive Crime Control Bill, as it tied federal prisoners' eligibility to earn good time with verification of high school equivalency. In other words, inmates who cannot pass the high school equivalency examination are ineligible to receive time off their sentences for good behavior. Furthermore, individuals who do not have a high school diploma or certificate verifying high school equivalency are limited to the amount of money they can earn from prison jobs.
Prisoners who need help developing their reading skills, or assistance in order to prepare for the high school equivalency exam, can find it in the education department of each prison. Every facility conducts Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes and General Education Development (GED) classes. In fact, Congress mandates all prisoners who lack high school equivalency to participate in GED classes for at least 120 days. Staff members usually teach these classes, though many institutions make use of inmate tutors to work with some inmates on an individual basis.
Inmates who complete the GED, or those who already have high school diplomas can advance to the vocational technology (VT) programs. The VT programs give prisoners opportunities to learn trades that might be translated into jobs upon their release from prison. Each prison offers its own selection of VT courses, many of which culminate with actual state licenses that enable the successful participants to ply their trades in communities outside of prison walls once their sentences are completed. Some of the more popular VT programs in federal prisons include barbering, building trades, culinary arts, horticulture, and the operation of basic computer programs.
Besides the ABE, GED, and VT classes, people in prison also can pursue collegiate studies. In fact, until the 1994 Crime Bill passed, most federal prisons had agreements with local colleges and universities. Those agreements enabled nearby institutions of higher learning to send their professors into the prison to teach classes inside the institution's education departments. Many citizens complained about this practice of giving federal prisoners access to university studies, though, and the 1994 Crime Bill eliminated funding for the prison college program. Still, a small minority of federal prisoners continue to prepare themselves for release by studying independently through correspondence courses at cooperating universities. Financial assistance for tuition through pelt Grants, however, is no longer available for prisoners.
Inmates in some institutions work together in order to create their own communities of learning. For example, at one federal prison, FCI McKean, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, inmates requested the administration to designate one of the housing units as an education unit. Individuals who are in serious pursuit of self-improvement programs apply through the supervisor of education for assignment to that unit. Those who live in the education unit work to strengthen it in a variety of ways. They correspond with libraries in an effort to solicit donations of books and other learning materials; they offer classes in some of the common living areas; and they work as tutors to help each other grasp concepts that might be more difficult to understand independently.
Educational programs help prisoners prepare for release. Besides that, they help prisoners move through their sentences. For the prisoner who allows his or her mind to lie dormant, time creeps along at a snail's pace. On the other hand, those who keep focused and work to enhance their skills in prison are able to document their accomplishments as time passes; in other words, educational programs empower people in prison by letting them make use of their time instead of letting the time use them
By Michael Santos
Educational programs are among the few activities individuals in federal prisons can pursue in order to bring meaning and hope to their lives. Such opportunities enable prisoners to escape the monotony of institutional life and to work on their personal goals and plans for their futures. Whether an individual spends time in formal classes or studies independently by using available library services, education departments are areas in the prison where the walls seem more permeable.
Prison libraries vary in size. Some of the older and larger ones hold upwards of 20,000 books; those in newer institutions usually contain only a few thousand. All federal prisons participate in the Interlibrary Loan System, though, which enables an inmate to order nearly any title he or she may choose from nearby libraries. So although gates, walls, and gun towers isolate federal prisoners from the wider community, they still are able to learn languages and travel the world and learn about different cultures through their access to literature and other educational materials.
Unfortunately, many of the men and women in prison have poor reading skills; some cannot read at all. This has always been a problem, yet the situation became even more severe after Congress passed the 1994 Comprehensive Crime Control Bill, as it tied federal prisoners' eligibility to earn good time with verification of high school equivalency. In other words, inmates who cannot pass the high school equivalency examination are ineligible to receive time off their sentences for good behavior. Furthermore, individuals who do not have a high school diploma or certificate verifying high school equivalency are limited to the amount of money they can earn from prison jobs.
Prisoners who need help developing their reading skills, or assistance in order to prepare for the high school equivalency exam, can find it in the education department of each prison. Every facility conducts Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes and General Education Development (GED) classes. In fact, Congress mandates all prisoners who lack high school equivalency to participate in GED classes for at least 120 days. Staff members usually teach these classes, though many institutions make use of inmate tutors to work with some inmates on an individual basis.
Inmates who complete the GED, or those who already have high school diplomas can advance to the vocational technology (VT) programs. The VT programs give prisoners opportunities to learn trades that might be translated into jobs upon their release from prison. Each prison offers its own selection of VT courses, many of which culminate with actual state licenses that enable the successful participants to ply their trades in communities outside of prison walls once their sentences are completed. Some of the more popular VT programs in federal prisons include barbering, building trades, culinary arts, horticulture, and the operation of basic computer programs.
Besides the ABE, GED, and VT classes, people in prison also can pursue collegiate studies. In fact, until the 1994 Crime Bill passed, most federal prisons had agreements with local colleges and universities. Those agreements enabled nearby institutions of higher learning to send their professors into the prison to teach classes inside the institution's education departments. Many citizens complained about this practice of giving federal prisoners access to university studies, though, and the 1994 Crime Bill eliminated funding for the prison college program. Still, a small minority of federal prisoners continue to prepare themselves for release by studying independently through correspondence courses at cooperating universities. Financial assistance for tuition through pelt Grants, however, is no longer available for prisoners.
Inmates in some institutions work together in order to create their own communities of learning. For example, at one federal prison, FCI McKean, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, inmates requested the administration to designate one of the housing units as an education unit. Individuals who are in serious pursuit of self-improvement programs apply through the supervisor of education for assignment to that unit. Those who live in the education unit work to strengthen it in a variety of ways. They correspond with libraries in an effort to solicit donations of books and other learning materials; they offer classes in some of the common living areas; and they work as tutors to help each other grasp concepts that might be more difficult to understand independently.
Educational programs help prisoners prepare for release. Besides that, they help prisoners move through their sentences. For the prisoner who allows his or her mind to lie dormant, time creeps along at a snail's pace. On the other hand, those who keep focused and work to enhance their skills in prison are able to document their accomplishments as time passes; in other words, educational programs empower people in prison by letting them make use of their time instead of letting the time use them