In Portland Oregon, the Londer Learning Center is a unit of  adult
community corrections (the Multnomah County Department of Community
Justice). Our GED/ABE/ESL program each year serves  500+  adults who are
released from jail, prison and who on probation and/or involved in
substance abuse treatment. Referrals come from POs, treatment centers,
courts and caseworkers. 

We are successful in academics, as well as in reducing recidivism. Some
reasons for our success:
1.  We only serve offenders who are at high- to medium-risk to reoffend.
These adults in "transition" who work toward positive goals with other
adults in transition. We also incorporate rehabilitation practices in
our adult education program. Teachers are all trained in motivational
interviewing, change theory (stages of change) and cognitive behavioral
change--evidenced based practices used in corrections.  We provide a
"holistic" approach--communicating often with POs, counselors and
caseworkers.
2. All staff is trained in working with adults with learning
disabilities/difficulties, and we keep classes small.

In sum: most of our students would not succeed if they went from
jail/prison to a community college. Upon release they face numerous
obstacles (housing, addictions rehab, etc). Just to make it onto a
campus which accepts students 2 or 3x a term is daunting. 

I certainly recommend community-based transitions education programs for
incarcerated adults, but also feel that success lies in partnership with
probation offices, an awareness of learning disabilities,  and training
in psycho-social factors than influence change. For more information
about the Londer Learning Center, please go to our website at:
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dcj/acjlonder.shtml 

Thanks--Carole Scholl, Manager, Londer Learning Center
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
503-988-6828


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 3:53 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 223] Community education for inmates who are
released


Hello Colleagues,

I would like our guests -- and others -- to explore some other  
challenging questions:

1. One of the characteristics of a successful prison education  
program (Gerber and Fritsch,  and Luiden and Perry) is follow-up with  
inmates after release.  Can you describe some models that do this  
well, and that lead to released prisoners continuing their education  
in the community?

2.  Do you know of examples of prisons or jails that invite community  
education programs to provide basic education inside so that when  
inmates are released there is continuity with the community education  
program outside? Can you tell us about how the model(s) works?

3. Is there any way that a web-based learning system could be offered  
to prisoners for self study inside that they could continue to use  
outside in a library, community technology center or at a community  
education program? I know that prisons and jails cannot offer  
Internet access, but are there any examples of a version of a web  
site being run on an internal server, in the prison, offering  
(nearly) the same experience as the user would have with internet  
access to the web site?

I hope others will continue to post their questions and comments.   
Steve Steurer plans to join us tomorrow or Monday, and the discussion  
continues through Tuesday.

Those who have just joined us, and others, the postings in this  
discussion are archived at

http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2006/date.html

If you would like to know more about other National Institute for  
Literacy-sponsored discussion lists, you will find information at

http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2006/date.html


David J. Rosen
Special Topics discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net





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