NCJ Number
31157
Date Published
1975
Length
6 pages
Annotation
DESCRIPTION OF A FOUR-STATE CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IN WHICH INMATES, EX-OFFENDERS, PRISON GUARDS, AND COMMUNITY PERSONS BECOME CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS AND IN REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Abstract
THIS TEACHER-PREPARATION PROGRAM, IN OPERATION IN MARYLAND, RHODE ISLAND, MINNESOTA, AND COLORADO SINCE 1973, IS FUNDED BY THE TEACHERS CORPS AND RUN BY THE UNION FOR EXPERIMENTING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, A CONSORTIUM OF 33 INSTITUTIONS JOINED TOGETHER TO FOSTER RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTATION, AND CHANGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS MONOGRAPH FOCUSES ON THE SPECIAL ASPECTS OF INVOLVING INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS IN TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS, THE RATIONALE FOR DOING SO, AND SOME OF THE UNION'S PLANS TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE UNION EMPHASIZES TEACHER PREPARATION (A) IN ORDER TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES OF TRADITIONALLY BARRING EX-OFFENDERS FROM TEACHING; (B) BECAUSE EX-OFFENDERS OFTEN HAVE SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATING TO LOW SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS STUDENTS; AND (C) SO THAT PRESERVICE STUDENTS WILL LEARN BY TEACHING INMATES WHO NEED TO DEVELOP BASIC SKILLS OR PASS HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY TESTS. THE PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT (A) IT CAN ASSIST STUDENTS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE TEACHING SKILLS, ESPECIALLY FOR PROBLEM LEARNERS; (B) STUDENTS AND INMATES WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT THEIR COMMUNITIES IN NEEDY AREAS; AND (C) THE PROGRAM CAN SUCCEED EVEN WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE PENAL SYSTEM.