Wendy--

There are many profound differences between what we say and what we do. 
  So coming out of prison with a GED means that you did something bad 
enough to get sent to prison, and now you are out.

The same behavior is associated with  alcohol--lots of ads, lots of 
hype, but become drunk in a social gathering and you will be suspect 
from then on.

Same with sex.  TV stuff, magazines, videos, indicate that the society 
is not just liberated but licentious.  In my observation, sexual 
display is generally frowned upon, and one's reputation suffers.

Same with domestic violence--there are laws, shelters, whatever--but 
don't bring personal accounts up in public because there is a stigma.

Possibly some people on this list know of successful programs that help 
the ex-prisoner transition into society and get a job.

Andrea
On Dec 11, 2006, at 10:51 PM, Jackson, Wendy P. wrote:


> Hello fellow listers,

>

> Mostly, I just lurk because I was blessed with a job at a time when I 

> really needed it in the Adult Ed field and I knew NOTHING about 

> education or the adult aspects of it. I have always thought you can 

> learn as you go if you connect yourself to the right resources, so I 

> subscribed to a couple of lists and began the learning process. 

> Sometimes the thread is so above my knowledge that I have to go on a 

> learning expedition to learn! Others, I am challenged to find out who 

> I am based on my thoughts about the items discussed. The topic of GEDs 

> and prisoners has just struck such a deep chord within me that I have 

> followed any and every comment posted on it. I even broke my no 

> posting code to say we should not place our emphasis on stats. Again, 

> I am driven to comment.

>

> I am currently enrolled in the local Community College. I have just 

> finished an Intro to Sociology class where we learned the theories 

> connected to deviant behaviors. One such theory was called the 

> Labeling Theory. This was where the individual was labeled as bad for 

> so long, they began to believe it and live it. They saw no way to 

> avoid becoming what they were labeled. I have seen this happen in real 

> life. We place a person in a jail or detention center. They are told 

> they have done wrong and are there to be rehabilitated. As a part of 

> the process, they are told getting their GED will help them to stay 

> straight outside. It will give them a way to support themselves, a way 

> to win back the respect of their loved ones. They are released back 

> into society. The debt that society said they owed is paid. GED in 

> hand. AND NOTHING!

>

> Is the GED only as good as the person who earned it has been? Does 

> that not devalue the purpose of adult education and GEDs? I understand 

> the "God give me the strength to accept the things I can not change" 

> philosophy but refusing to go into the fray before knowing what can be 

> changed, I do not understand. If the GED has conditional value, then 

> we need to tell all of the ones that earn a GED that its value is 

> conditional on the life they have lived. Help me here! I do not see 

> this as an issue we should just let be. If the value of the GED is 

> conditional, why spend all of the dollars spent on GED? Why not just 

> put it into building better jails?

>

> I do not want my qualifications based on the 20 something that had no 

> education and could not keep a job 90 days.  I refuse to allow my 

> yesterday to control my tomorrow and offenders who have served their 

> time, ought not be forced to do so either - primate or not.

>

>

>

> Wendy Jackson

> Roane County Adult Education

> ________________________________

>

>

>

>

> From: "Jones-Turner, Patricia" <JonesTurnerP at chesterfield.gov>

> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 104] Re: economic impact of earning a GED

>

> Sure that is true UNLESS you are the inmate.

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of

> TraceyAssociates at aol.com

> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 11:55 AM

> To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov

> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 94] Re: economic impact of earning a GED

>

>

>

> Greetings:

>

> In fairness, one has to sadly admit that discrimination by race, color,

> and a million other measures is certainly not a uniquely American

> phenomenon, but a universal problem among almost all peoples since the

> dawn of time. (Anyone who bothered to join this web site is well aware

> of this, but it helps to be reminded now and then to temper ones anger

> at the blind injustice and mess we have made of the world we live in.)

>

> We are primates with clothing and better tools - but still primates.

>

> To paraphrase Carl Sagan, the amount of time man has been walking the

> Earth since the beginning of the universe can be measured in the blink

> of an eye. These and other social ills will not be solved in our

> lifetime, or perhaps any lifetime considering the accelerating pace of

> nuclear proliferation. One just does what one can.

>

> As for prisons, it should be no surprise that most rehab programs are

> poorly conceived, underfunded, and often ineffective. It will always be

> so if there is no $$ in it for the special interest lobbies. When it

> becomes more profitable to run community-based prison rehab problems

> with meaningful performance measures, they will be everywhere.

>

> As the Irish say, It tis what it tis.  Accepting this fact helps us get

> on with the business of doing whatever they can with whatever tools we

> have available at the time.

>

> Carpe diem.

>

> Paul Tracey

> www.learningaboutdiabetes.org <http://www.learningaboutdiabetes.org/>

>

>

> <winmail.dat>----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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