David,

I believe that your list of 13 questions is a very good recap of the discussions so far.  I will set about suggesting some answers for as many as possible.  The two day target is tough - but I'll try.  Regarding question #12-  I believe that Vance Granville College is trying that technique with the Federal Correctional Center in Butner NC.  They are using one of the several authoring systems for delivering on-line courses.  They have installed these courses on a closed system "server"  within the prison.   Such systems normally connect teachers and students through an e-mail feature.  I believe the lack of such an e-mail feature to connect student and teachers is a problem that needs to be resolved and possibly can be through older technologies such a  direct "Hot Line" phone support.  

I know that Kentucky and (I believe)  West Virginia have an Adult Education Program that teaches GED as a distance education course using an 800 number phone support line to help students complete a largely self study multi media curriculum.   I believe it has been rather successful with students at higher grade levels and with reasonable self discipline.  I know a feature of the Kentucky program is that the students and teachers sign a "contract" agreeing on what each will bring to the program.

Bill anthony

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David J. Rosen 
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov 
  Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:48 AM
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 907] Re: Corrections to Community Education


  Colleagues,


  We have only two more days to devote to this topic. I hope everyone who wants to say something related to the topic will. I am glad that some participants who thought they would only read have decided to contribute to the discussion.  I hope others will, too.


  Now that all four of our guests are with us I hope that we can hear all their perspectives on some of the questions that have not yet been fully answered. (See a list of these below).



  Thanks, Kiel, for opening up the question of transition from corrections education to college. I would like to hear from our guest experts, and others, about what has been effective in helping released inmates transition to post-secondary education. 


  I know that many years ago there were federal subsidies for inmates to take college courses. (I was an Academic Dean at a small college that had an MA program that served inmates and that was paid for entirely by federal financial aid.)  I believe those days are gone, but wonder if there are college courses of any kind offered to inmates with the goal of having them enroll as on-campus or online students once they are released.


  I would also like to hear from more community-based organizations, if there are some represented here, with their perspectives on what works in transitioning inmates to community-based education. (Thanks John Gordon for the thoughtful and detailed answers you have provided about what the Fortune Society in New York City does, an inspiration for many other community-based programs.)


  Here are some of the questions that have not yet been fully addressed yet by our guests or by other participants:


  1. When an inmate who has been in an education program inside a state corrections institution or county jail is released, what needs to happen for him or her to connect to and stick with a community-based education program?
  2. Are you aware of any exemplary models of connections between inside education and community based education programs? Can you tell us about them?
  3. What can community-based education programs do to partner with corrections education programs that release inmates back to their communities?
  4. What do you see as the main differences between career educational programs through public or private post-secondary institutions and community education programs?  How do these differences account for the success or failure of students in these programs?
  5.  What spectrum of crimes have these students committed?  What are the most common?  How does the severity of the crime relate to their outcomes in community educational programs and subsequent attempts to find employment...or does it?

  6. What are the significant research findings on the topic of successful transitions from prison education to community education programs?  What are best practices that might have been discovered from the research.

  7. Are the "soft skills" being taught (in corrections and community-based education programs), such things as attitude, attendance, punctuality, honesty, dependability, teamwork, listening skills......?
  8. Could you give examples of state or county corrections institutions and community-based institutions where personal relationships have been built and sustained over time so that a referral phone call or an email about an inmate who is being released results in a warm welcome to the community-based education program, perhaps as part of a number of community services (housing, employment, health  care, counseling) provided on release. If so, what enables these relationships? What sustains them? What undermines them?
  9. The House and Senate have passed the Second Chance Act. Could you describe what provisions this important bill includes.
  10. Are there good examples of collaborations or partnerships between corrections and community education programs where they both use the same online learning, videos, or software. If so, could you describe these programs?
  11. In a previous discussion here on corrections education we learned that there is at least one corrections program where inmates can -- under careful supervision by teachers -- use the Internet.  Are there others? Is this a trend?
  12. Are there examples where corrections education programs have taken online options (online software or education web sites for example) and brought them inside as stand-alone (not Internet connected) options?
  13. What happens in the prisons and jail when the inmate cannot read?  Do you
  have programs to address this issue?


  Are there other unanswered questions?




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








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