NCJ Number
45360
Journal
Rassegna di Studi Penitenziari Volume: 27 Issue: 4-5 Dated: (JULY-OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 521-529
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ITALIAN PRISON INMATES, CORRELATIONS AMONG EDUCATION AND OTHER FACTORS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS IN PRISONS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
STATISTICS ON PRISON INMATES IN ITALY SHOW THAT THE MAJORITY HAS A LOW LEVEL OF EDUCATION; MANY ARE ILLITERATE AND MANY MORE HAVE COMPLETED ONLY PRIMARY SCHOOL, WHILE FEW HAVE REACHED THE SECONDARY OR POSTSECONDARY LEVEL. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC POSITION IS RECIPROCAL; HIGHER ECONOMIC STATUS LEADS TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATION, WHICH LEADS TO A GREATER ECONOMIC STATUS, AND SO ON. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THATE DEPRIVATION OF EDUCATION IS OFTEN 'HEREDITARY' IN THAT MEMBERS OF A NUCLEAR FAMILY OVER GENERATIONS EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR LACK OF INSTRUCTION. AS COMMUNICATION THROUGH LANGUAGE IS AN EXCELLENT INSTRUMENT OF POWER, WHOEVER DOES NOT POSSESS LINGUISTIC OR COMMUNICATIVE CAPABILITIES WILL BE AT A DISADVANTAGE IN SOCIETY AND THUS WILL BE ALIENATED. THEREFORE ANY RESOCIALIZATION PROCESS FOR THE OFFENDER MUST INVOLVE PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION SO THAT THE INMATE, WHEN RELEASED FROM PRISON, WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD. ALTHOUGH INMATES ARE MORE DISPOSED TO ENTERING AND ATTENDING CLASSES IN INSTITUTIONS BY VIRTUE OF THEIR INCARCERATION AND CONCOMITANT RESTRICTED MOVEMENT, THE PERCENTAGE OF INMATES WHO DO NOT ATTEND REGULARLY OR QUIT ATTENDING ALTOGETHER IS HIGHER THAN FOR SCHOOLS ON THE OUTSIDE. REASONS FOR THIS DISCREPANCY INCLUDE THE FEAR OF DERISION BY FELLOW INMATES, THE INERTIA OR IDLENESS WHICH OFTEN RESULTS FROM INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND THE INABILITY TO APPLY ONESELF ASSIDUOUSLY TO A TASK WHICH DEMANDS COMPLETE CONCENTRATION AND COMMITMENT. EDUCATION SHOULD BE FORMATIVE AS WELL AS INSTRUCTIVE; TYPES OF INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS WHICH SHOULD BE FOUND IN PRISONS INCLUDE NOT ONLY THE TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONAL, VOCATIONAL, OR CRAFT SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO TECHNICAL, SCIENTIFIC, OR EVEN HUMANISTIC SCHOOLS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE INMATE TO BECOME A WELL-ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL AND WHICH WOULD PREPARE RELEASEES FOR REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY. TRAINING FOR PRISON PERSONNEL WHO MUST INTERACT WITH INMATES IS ALSO NECESSARY. --IN ITALIAN. (DAS)