NCJ Number
70969
Date Published
1978
Length
53 pages
Annotation
A bilingual program for Puerto Rican adults in a community correctional center is discussed.
Abstract
The specific program described is a bilingual/ESL (English as a second language) program in a Connecticut correctional center. A reivew of the literature about Puerto Rican migrants is followed by profiles of 31 Puerto Rican adult inmates at New Haven Community Correctional Center (NHCC) who were enrolled in the bilingual program: of these inmates 53 percent were first offenders, 47 percent are recidivists, 54 percent are literate in Spanish, 42 percent are partially functional in English, and 37 percent are illiterate in Spanish. In addition, 43 percent have no English at all, and 90 percent use Spanish as the dominant spoken language. Their average schooling was 5.7 years; cultural background was generally very poor; and they generally refuse to speak English among themselves. The adult Puerto Rican inmate is viewed as symbolically imprisoned by the dominant-domineering language (English) with which he is surrounded. Almost everyone else or 90 percent of the inmates in NHCC speak only English; radio programs are in English; and loud speaker summons are invariably in English. Other topics discussed are the bilingual/bicultural curriculum as therapy, evaluative procedures, and obstacles to learning. Spolsky's educational factors (political, sociological, psychological, cultural and religious, economic, and linguistic) are detailed. Student profile forms. curriculum phases, and Spanish and English phonemes are provided.