Last year when changes to the GED programs were first announced, analysts predicted it would have a serious impact on the ability of prisoners to acquire their certificates. A year later, those predictions have proven accurate. Prison GED success rates have dropped dramatically, in some places up to 82% since the system switched over. To begin, the content
By Christopher Zoukis
A friend approached me the other day and inquired as to whether I knew anyone at my prison who would be a good pre-GED instructor/tutor. As I thought about it, a few names came to mind, but they were all people from years past. They were the former MIT instructor who once toured China teaching engineering. Or the man who recently died — Rick Foster — who held a master’s in education. Or even another good friend of mine who used to teach graphic arts at a small liberal arts college. But as I ran through the list of people who would be good candidates to ask, I realized that they all had either been released from prison, died in prison, or had transferred to a lower security prison. Thus, I was stumped.This conundrum bothered me since I figured that I would be a good person to ask such a question. After all, I’m more of the publishing guru in these parts (this has a lot to do with my past teaching of the Writing and Publishing Adult Continuing Education class). As such, those interested in a higher calling while incarcerated — regardless of what it might be since high achievers tend to write about their exploits — tend to come to me for advice and direction. This instigated the topic for this post. How would a prison educator locate qualified inmate instructors to teach in their classroom? Here are some ideas:
Many in the world outside of prison wouldn’t believe that talent lies behind bars. The thought of a prisoner possessing a professional doctorate, being an English major, or even managing an advocacy network would be much too taboo to contemplate.
Luckily for us, we know the truth of the matter: that there are a number of highly qualified inmates which can be put to good use in leadership positions. The question then becomes how to find them and how to maintain their interest.
We have profiled every prison within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Learn about each prison’s location, security level, educational and recreational offerings, and much more.
The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. In some jurisdictions, this may be considered attorney advertising. Merely reading this information does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Our firm affiliates with local counsel licensed in their respective jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis. These local counsels are independent and are not employees of the firm. Please remember that when we reference our firm’s experience, this generally includes the combined expertise of both the firm and its frequently used local counsel.
The Law Office of Grant Smaldone is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. This is the only fully staffed office. References to any other city or state in any materials or anywhere on this website do not mean or otherwise indicate that the firm maintains an office in that location or has lawyers physically located in that city or state. The attorneys at the firm are licensed to practice law in only the jurisdictions listed in their biographies.
Every case is different, and any prior results mentioned on this website do not guarantee or suggest a similar result in other matters. There is no guarantee or assurance of success for any client.
The Law Office of Grant Smaldone limits its practice to South Carolina state and cases involving federal law and procedure.
