Amy
04-16-2004, 02:52 PM
Master's thesis supports his philosophy on corrections
Education plays a major role in Delta Correctional Facility's new warden's philosophy on corrections.
Jody Bradley has been a warden at seven prisons over the past 12 years. He came to the realization while working on his master's thesis that education is an important factor in keeping prisoners from returning to prison.
"I am a very firm believer in education. Providing educational opportunities gives inmates the opportunity to modify their previous behavior," said Bradley.
Bradley found in his small test group that 70 percent of inmates who get their GED through prison educational programs do not return and 70 percent of inmates who choose not to participate in educational programs do return to prison.
Bradley said there are three basic groups of
prisoners. "There is the group that will return to prison, the group that won't return to prison, and then there is that middle group who can be influenced to return or not return."
Bradley said that for that "middle group," quality programs and educational opportunities offered by corrections facilities can make a difference.
"I know education makes a difference. I've seen many inmates get teary-eyed when they receive that certificate after earning their GED," he said.
Bradley, who became warden at a prison in Sweetwater, Texas six months after receiving his bachelor's degree in criminal justice, wasn't sure that college was for him.
"I was a person who didn't take college serious when I first started," he said. "It took me 17 years to receive my bachelor's."
He earned 99 credits before sitting out of school. Fifteen years later, Bradley returned to school at Tarleton State University in Stephensville, Texas and finished in a year and a half.
Before he received his degree, Bradley had several different jobs. He worked as an account clerk, an office manager, and a general manager for a construction company.
"One boss I had told me that I might have one more upward move because my education was going to hold me back from that point," he said. "That's when I decided to go back to school."
Soon after completing his bachelor's degree, Bradley began working on his master's. He drove six hours one way to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and spent eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays in the Intense Management Program.
When Bradley took a job in El Paso in mid-semester, he flew to Huntsville for the last six months of the course.
"So when someone says getting an education is hard, I tell them I know, but it's possible," said Bradley.
At the age of 43, Bradley was the oldest student in a class of 25.
Because he was the oldest, Bradley got a chance to teach on days the instructor was out. "That was something I enjoyed," he said.
Bradley's love for teaching carried over into his duties as a warden. He is currently an instructor of True Colors, a program that teaches prison staff members to accept people for their differences.
He also instructs Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and does leadership development for Corrections Corp. of America. Last year Bradley traveled for three months doing leadership training at various facilities around the country.
Though the programs are geared toward staff members, Bradley has made presentations to some inmates.
Bradley, a former warden at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, said he was excited about coming back to Mississippi.
Source: Greenwood Commonwealth http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11334695&BRD=1838&PAG=461&dept_id=104621&rfi=6 (http://65.54.184.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=19ab909a1032403009de804045b4abc6&lat=1082145057&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ezwire%2ecom%2fsite% 2fnews%2ecfm%3fnewsid%3d11334695%26BRD%3d1838%26PA G%3d461%26dept_id%3d104621%26rfi%3d6)
Education plays a major role in Delta Correctional Facility's new warden's philosophy on corrections.
Jody Bradley has been a warden at seven prisons over the past 12 years. He came to the realization while working on his master's thesis that education is an important factor in keeping prisoners from returning to prison.
"I am a very firm believer in education. Providing educational opportunities gives inmates the opportunity to modify their previous behavior," said Bradley.
Bradley found in his small test group that 70 percent of inmates who get their GED through prison educational programs do not return and 70 percent of inmates who choose not to participate in educational programs do return to prison.
Bradley said there are three basic groups of
prisoners. "There is the group that will return to prison, the group that won't return to prison, and then there is that middle group who can be influenced to return or not return."
Bradley said that for that "middle group," quality programs and educational opportunities offered by corrections facilities can make a difference.
"I know education makes a difference. I've seen many inmates get teary-eyed when they receive that certificate after earning their GED," he said.
Bradley, who became warden at a prison in Sweetwater, Texas six months after receiving his bachelor's degree in criminal justice, wasn't sure that college was for him.
"I was a person who didn't take college serious when I first started," he said. "It took me 17 years to receive my bachelor's."
He earned 99 credits before sitting out of school. Fifteen years later, Bradley returned to school at Tarleton State University in Stephensville, Texas and finished in a year and a half.
Before he received his degree, Bradley had several different jobs. He worked as an account clerk, an office manager, and a general manager for a construction company.
"One boss I had told me that I might have one more upward move because my education was going to hold me back from that point," he said. "That's when I decided to go back to school."
Soon after completing his bachelor's degree, Bradley began working on his master's. He drove six hours one way to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and spent eight hours on Saturdays and Sundays in the Intense Management Program.
When Bradley took a job in El Paso in mid-semester, he flew to Huntsville for the last six months of the course.
"So when someone says getting an education is hard, I tell them I know, but it's possible," said Bradley.
At the age of 43, Bradley was the oldest student in a class of 25.
Because he was the oldest, Bradley got a chance to teach on days the instructor was out. "That was something I enjoyed," he said.
Bradley's love for teaching carried over into his duties as a warden. He is currently an instructor of True Colors, a program that teaches prison staff members to accept people for their differences.
He also instructs Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and does leadership development for Corrections Corp. of America. Last year Bradley traveled for three months doing leadership training at various facilities around the country.
Though the programs are geared toward staff members, Bradley has made presentations to some inmates.
Bradley, a former warden at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, said he was excited about coming back to Mississippi.
Source: Greenwood Commonwealth http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11334695&BRD=1838&PAG=461&dept_id=104621&rfi=6 (http://65.54.184.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=19ab909a1032403009de804045b4abc6&lat=1082145057&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ezwire%2ecom%2fsite% 2fnews%2ecfm%3fnewsid%3d11334695%26BRD%3d1838%26PA G%3d461%26dept_id%3d104621%26rfi%3d6)