I am going crazy cause I can't find ANY that do mail-in courses (that aren't super expensive). Our Cali community colleges are all online now and they don't do mail.

I mean I am proud of him for wanting to be the first in his family to get a degree... now if we can only figure out how!!!! California has ended all prison college program except in San Quentin. RRRGGGHHH! :angry: And then they wonder why they go back in....

He is desperate to start studying... I'm thinking of talking to our local community college and see if they'll let me print out the online courses and mail them to him... any other ideas welcome! :)

I had looked into this also in the past. Did you try speaking to the educational department at that that perticular prison? They would know if any other inmates are taking them and perhaps you can get some scoop that way? Let us know how you come along on this...

Dawn

Thanks, I wll try that... and keep yall updated :)

Qwerty,
You are in the wrong forum. Just below your forum, on the same page, is one called Education Inside. It is full of information about expensive courses and what you can try with your local community college as an alternative. Information about applying for government aid is also included. Read the entire forum and you may find your answers. There is a poster there that has a warehouse of information. Good luck, knowledge is power. Tam

Grams....

There is another side to this education question which certainly belongs in this forum...

Lifer's (which Qwerty is working with) are generally housed in some sort of odd area or higher security area, or are perhaps the last folks that any institution would consider risking some sort of security over. That could include a restriction on property (any materials they'd have sent in to them for the course) or movement within the institution to attend any course that someday might be held or offered to general pop, or any good or bad reason they can come up with regarding the futility of making education available at the expense of the state or the institutions security.

I hope she does find some materials that he can have and use and some means of participating with an ongoing program sponsored by some college or program.
I hope that folks here are aware that while some things happen across the board to all prisoners, other things of a more restrictive nature occur because of the custody level that lifer's have more often than not.

I think it's a good thing that the question came here. If the answer is found, I hope everyone with an interested lifer jumps on it.

There is nothing futile about a lifer or x-to-life(r) seeking more education, or more education than his/her facility offers.

My dad used to say,..'Nothin' beats education.

Thanks grammy, I did read practically that whole dang forum! Some of the leads were obsolete and others were too expensive (U of Iowa and Ohio University)... but I will check back there, it's been a while :)

Thank you for your comments, life2, they mean a lot... I agree there are very lifer-specific aspects to this issue, at least in my mind... maybe another thread would be good?

Because I believe it is even MORE important for lifers to keep up with their goals and aspirations. I know my friend really wants to make something positive of the 26 years he has before he even comes up for parole. He wants to grow, keep his mind off the limitations and instead imagine new things for himself he never thought possible.

More than anything, I want to help him achieve those things. It's why we're friends, I would be the same way... :D

I have been searching and searching for info also and always come up empty handed-or dont have enough money. If you do find out anything, please post about it. Seems correspondence classes are a thing of the past since on line technology stepped in. Plus some prisons do not allow it. I cant seem to understand that one.

There is one collge that does mail classes and its called distance learning and I think its coast commiunity college in Orange county. they can even get a fee waiver. I was even going to do that for my husband but he is very forgetful, and thinks he knows it all.

Some inmates friends told me about Coast Community -- they said all you have to pay for is books.

I couldn't find much on their website, but I will call next week and let y'all know what I find out!

Its better to call them and ask them to mail you their catalog or a list of distance learning classes. a friend of mine told me about it. and maybe if you sign up for fee waiver and eops, they can wiave the books. But they cannot get fiancial aid.
Even try Costco.com they have computer classes, I'm going to take classes online. and for a small fee and less time in classroom.

Thanks!! To be continued... :D

I think one of my pals is doing a distance college course. I will write him tonight and ask him what school it is.

Thanks, babieboo!!! :D

qwerty try pcdi.com they show commercials here all the time, it is an all mail correspondence course for all kinds of different associate degrees its...Professional Career Development Institute. maybe it could be some help to you.

For Coast Community do you have to be housed in California?

Thanks worleysgirl, I will check it out... but LATER, since his dumb a** is in the hole now. I chewed him out and told him I'm not sticking my neck out for this till he gets settled down somewhere.

tracie, you don't have to live in california, but it costs more for out of state residents.

there are a couple of universities that do college correspondence that I know of for sure. They are Tufts university, Maryland university, and I called and talked to the camp where I will hopefully be placed and they told me they go through LSU university. Alot of inmates there are taking classes because they are relatively inexpensive.

Has anyone had any luck with Coast Community College? I too cannot afford Ohio Univ. so i am looking for other options. I called the education coordinator at my husbands prison and they were rude and told me to call Ohio or figure it out myself. So here I am looking for better options.

Isn't it something how un-helpful prisons are about this?

Unfortunately, I have to wait for things to settle down. He's gotten into ad seg and might be transferred.

I couldn't find anything on Coast's website, so I guess I'll have to call one of these days. Maybe by next quarter he'll get it together...

Qwerty, let me know any phone numbers or web addresses you found on this cause I would like to know about this issue too. This might be a dumb question but can inmates who are in indeterminate shu's(like pelican bay) do correspondence classes?? I dont see y not if its just mailing material back and forth?? Let me know, thanks!!!

http://www.biddle-audenreed.com/guerrilla.html

Check out this link. I actually had this book when I was incarcerated and found it very informative and helpful. Fortunately, I was paroled and was able to complete my Associate's degree last month, and started my Bachelor's classes today. :)

Good luck.

Thank you, I printed the page, Im gonna send it to my man and see if he wants the book. But you said it helped u right. And congrats on your endevors in education, your on a great path, im working on my masters right now too!!

Hi, I am also looking for info for further education for my lifer friend. Sometimes the info is confusing and not clear (especially for me as a foreigner!). I was just looking at several websites that were mentioned here and cannot really find anything suitable, but I did find this webpage, maybe it is helpful to you:

http://arkedu.state.ar.us/pdf/Correspondence%20Courses.pdf

I hope you can find what you are looking for!
Abelle

Well, a lot of the links I stated above are high school education I think! I will have to look further for higher education....

I know this is an old thread but I'm wondering if anyone found any information for Coast Community College for CA inmates? I want to enroll my fiance in some classes so he can obtain his AA degree so any help on this particular college would be great!:thumbsup:

Try Rio Salado College in Tempe, AZ. They have internet courses as well as "long distance learning" classes. They have mail, audio, and internet access and even offer classes to a couple prisons here in AZ.

www.rio.maricopa.edu

Hi Bob-bi-lu, I haven't called coast, guess I should, because their web site doesn't show any mail-in courses anymore.

N8tiv, I will try Rio Salado now that he's been behaving LOL...

For some time now I have been sponsoring Paula to take an Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice course with Ashworth College. She is around the halfway point now (at the end of the second semester out of four).

http://www.ashworthcollege.com

I'm not sure how the costs compare with other places but the fees are around $1,000 per year at the pace she is completing the course. That is inclusive of everything. I have found Ashworth's administration to be rather disjointed sometimes and I have had one notable run-in with them for not following my instructions to take a payment, but Paula says her books and assignments/grades are always timely and she always sends and receives them with no trouble.

I have access to Paula's student account online and I can see all of her grades and submitted assignment work. As always with Paula, she is breezing through it with no problems at all.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, I'll check it out...

Also good news on Coastline Community College, they still have their program for incarcerated students, they just don't push it online. Only $26 a unit for Californians.. not sure how much for out-of-staters..

(714) 241-6315

Coastline Community College Incarcerated Student Program

qwerty,
I'm wondering if the fee waiver applys to incarcerated individuals?
Anywho, thanks for the info, this truly is great news. I will definately call them today. I had taken a spanish course at coastline about 3 years ago but had no idea that they offered this. Thank you so much for this info!!

Have you looked into colleges listed on the site below? It's a list of reputable colleges that offer degrees by mail as well as online, but they might be expensive. http://www.degree.net/schools/100schools.html

In a book I read, I think it was the 2002 book Behind Bars: Surviving prison by Jeffrey Ian Ross & Stephen C. Richards, they have a chapter on education and degrees by mail with some recommendations. But you're right, so many of these programs are falling away in favor of online courses.

My fiance takes correspondence college courses for the incarcerated through Ohio University. Expensive but worth it.

http://www.ohiou.edu/independent/islist.htm

Good luck! :)

Ohio University has a program for the incarcerated. It is a good program.

My brother is taking courses through Ohio University too. He hasn't been doing it for long, but so far it's been a great experience.