Maryland has, for several years, offered programs over the
"internet" from two community colleges for medium and maximum security
institutions.  Each student works at a computer under the supervision of the
instructor in the classroom.  The computer is not connected to the internet
until after all the students have left for the day and the classroom has
been cleared by an officer.  At that point the instructor physically unlocks
the room where the server is located and, with a different key, unlocks the
access to the computer.  For a short time that computer is connected to the
internet while the instructor uploads all the student work for the day and
sends it to the college.  The computer is then locked, locked in its
cabinet, and the room is locked for the night.  In the morning, before the
students report for class, the instructor uploads the professors' comments
to the students and distributes them to the class computers.  The server is
again disconnected and locked, the cabinet is locked, and the room housing
the server is locked.  After that students report for class.  Students are
able to have almost real time access to their professors (not fellow
students in the community), and have been able to participate in "on-line"
coursework.  I, obviously, don't know all the technical aspects of the
security system, but it is both technological and physical and was developed
with consultants who work with the FBI and CIA on computer security.  To my
knowledge there has not been a security breach in the more than five years
that this program has been in place.  Contacts for this program would be
Mark Mechlinski, director of correctional education for the Maryland State
Department of Education   mmechlinski at msde.state.md.us or Ray Harbert,
project director  dharbert at msde.state.md.us 

 

Carolyn Buser

Adult Education Specialist

United States Department of Education

Division of Adult Education and Literacy  

202- 245 6697  carolyn.buser at ed.gov

  _____  

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Bill Anthony
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:19 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 911] Re: Corrections to Community Education

 

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 <mailto:djrosen at comcast.net>  

	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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