Second Chance Act in Peril

Nov 9, 2011 No Comments

Imagine being newly released from prison, only to find yourself on the streets with no money, perhaps no place to live and no skills to find a job. Studies show that this can seriously lead to recidivism–the released prisoner returning to prison as they have no other way to survive.

In 2009 the Second Chance Act was signed into law to help improve the outcomes for people who are returning to communities from prisons and jails. The bill authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to help provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victim support and many other services that can help fight recidivism.

Windham School District-A Leader in Correctional Education

Nov 5, 2011 No Comments

Texas is a big state. And within this big state with a big heart is the Windham School District, which provides academic and vocational education to eligible offenders incarcerated within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDJC.)

The Windham School District strongly believes that prison education is the key to reducing recidivism and by providing appropriate educational programming and services that meet the needs of the eligible offender population incarcerated within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, education helps offenders become responsible and productive members of their own community as well as society as a whole.

Prison Education: Not Just a Desire, But a Willingness

Nov 1, 2011 No Comments

I had a very frustrating day the other day! For several weeks the Education Department at FCI-Petersburg has been trying to get me in contact with a gentleman who recently earned his GED. He had expressed a desire to further his studies at either the career-level or college-level. But, he didn’t have any funds to pursue a higher-level education. So, they called in me. After all, I’m now their go-to guy in terms of correspondence programs and prison education.

Unlocking Student Potential

Oct 21, 2011 No Comments

The largest amount of my time, and probably one of the most important things I do, is creating an environment where my students believe they can succeed, and where they want to succeed. I understand those who say no one can be motivated by anyone. I understand their reasoning. However, I’m talking about setting the stage where students who are afraid to learn, or hate school, or don’t believe in themselves, can feel safe and thrive in an educational setting. If that can’t be accomplished, very little learning will occur.

Bard Prison Initiative

Oct 15, 2011 No Comments

In 1860, Bard College was founded, then known as St. Stephens’s College overlooking the Hudson River in New York. The college began as a preperation for men to enter into seminaries, and over the years until present time, have evolved their curriculum into “higher intellectual and artistic goals.” The very prestigious Bard College of today, embraces science, arts, music, dance, film and other liberal arts academia.

The Institute of Writing & Thinking was born from visionaries within Bard College and in 1999, many of the founders of this particular Institute formed the Bard Prison Initiative.

Idaho's Department of Corrections Education System

Oct 12, 2011 No Comments

Within the prison walls of Idaho’s Department of Corrections Facilities, is a school that has helped over 500 inmates receive their GED’s as well as 10 inmates who received their high school diplomas. The school is called the Robert Janss School and is accredited through the Idaho Department of Education and operates within seven of Idaho’s Correctional Facilities throughout the state.

Once offenders are enrolled in the Robert Janss School’s program, they will progress through education in this order: Literacy or Secondary Education, Workforce Readiness, Workforce Skills, and On the Job Training. Inmates who are in the school’s program will be able to practice their new education skills at the Correctional Facility they are incarcerated at and use them for work projects and at Correctional Work Centers.

Inmates in Texas Prison Study for the Ministry

Oct 8, 2011 No Comments

The Southwestern Baptist Theology Seminary located in Houston Texas, has teamed up with one of Texas’s maximum security prisons, Rosharon, to allow a select few inmates to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies.

The program, which is supported by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Southwest Theological Seminary, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Heart of Texas Foundation, enrolled it’s first students on Monday, Aug. 29th, 2011. The seminary, which is currently being held at Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Darrington Unit in Rosharon, has accepted 40 inmates for this non-denominational program.

Prison Education.com's Inmate Scholarship Program

Oct 4, 2011 No Comments

Today I’d like to share with you some behind the scenes work that I’m engaging in. It concerns a potential inmate scholarship program that I’m attempting to implement.

The basis of the proposed program revolves around three separate inmate scholarships. Do note that all of this is in the planning stage and is subject to change. A large factor here is funding.

The scholarships are as follows:

FCI Petersburg’s Education Department Problems and Innovative Solutions

Sep 29, 2011 No Comments

Today I have something not all that pleasant to share with you. As I reported several weeks ago, the FCI-Petersburg Education Department has cut back on its open house hours. This means that the Education Department will now be closed all day on Sundays (which was already the case) and on Friday nights after 3:30 p.m. (which is new).

This additional closure, while not huge on its face, becomes imposing when you take into account the programming that would have occurred in the Education Department from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday nights. Specifically, two Adult Continuing Education classes which would have taught around 35 students and the Friday night GED Fast-Track program which would have taught another 25 students. The new Friday night closure of the Education Department now means that the two Adult Continuing Education classes will be cancelled and the GED Fast-Track program will be cut back to 5 days a week.

Hudson Link-For Higher Education In Prison

Sep 28, 2011 No Comments

Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York faced severe challenges when in 1998 all state and federal funding for prison college education came to a screeching halt. The loss of higher education programs in the facility was having a devastating effect on prisoners morale.

Administrators and staff reached out to religious and academic volunteers for help and through the vision and leadership of Dr. Anne Reissner, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison was founded and higher education for prisoners incarcerated at Sing Sing was restored through private funding.

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