Education in the US Prison System - Essay Example

Education in the US Prison System: A Critical Discussion (Fill in with your information etc Education in the US Prison System: A Critical Discussion A prison is literally defined as a "place in which individuals are physically confined and usually deprived of a range of personal freedomsthey areconventionally institutions which form part of the criminal justice system of a country, such that imprisonment or incarceration is the penalty imposed by the state for the commission of a crime." ("Wikipedia", 2005). There are over nine million people imprisoned worldwide, with the United States being the overtly obvious leader in prison population with at least two million people imprisoned solely in their country alone. With such a vast amount of society being locked up behind bars for years of their lives, the question of a thing such as state of education in the prison system must be automatically brought to attention. This subject matter is what will be discussed in the following. Education in the US Prison System Since 1980, America's prison population has "more than tripled" (Patel and McMurray, n.d.). Out of this abundant figure, 19% of adult inmates are illiterate; while the United States' national adult illiteracy stands at a comparatively mere 4%. Stemming from this figure are the rates of recidivism in the United States, which are also at a particular high - 41% to 71% of prisoners who are released into the community end up back in prison only a short time after their acquittal. This can quickly be assessed as the obvious impact of expecting unskilled, undereducated, and often improperly socialized persons to be released into the community and make it on their own. In a world where high education is required for practically anything and everything, the thought of having high expectations for a person being thrown back into the world from a life of solitaire and no education in prison seems highly impractical. Although at one time rehabilitation was a critical goal of the prison system, funding for most educational and rehabilitative programs "has been severed, prioritizing punishment and profit over people." ("PARC", n.d.). The real mission of the prison system now seems to be that of total containment, rather than assistance. Recent studies have shown an increasing need for special skills for America's workforce for the future. "Inmates, who traditionally do not have good workplace skills, can benefit from education provided during incarceration." (Yeonopolus, n.d.). There are numerous innovative programs for inmates available in prisons across America, some of which are even enforced with penalties if persons decide to resist. In certain prisons, prisoners are being compelled to attend school for specified periods, and those who refuse to comply may be denied parole hearings or "be prevented from participating in alternative forms of 'treatment' until they comply." (Davidson, 1995). The educators who teach in the prison system understand they the persons they are educating require more than just educational skills, they also lack the knowledge of proper personal skills, such as making decisions, working with others, using resources appropriately, and so on. It is this understanding that has, and seemingly will continue to, keep prisoners from reentering the prison system after their release. There are two basic types of correctional education programs - vocational training, which focuses on the learning of skills that are related to the workplace, and literacy development, which is used to heighten a persons reading and mathematical skills. Each state has a separate list of educational programs offered to inmate; Colorado for example, employs the Correctional Education Program, which strives to provide inmates with skills which will be transferable and useful to them once they leave the penal system by: ensuring their reach the highest academic achievement level possible, preferably obtaining the General Educational Development (GED) Diploma, and providing the vocational skills required to obtain employment upon release. The first college program for inmates was established in 1953, and since then, numerous universities and colleges in the United States have developed or begun to develop correctional education programs. In 1965, only 12 correctional education programs were operating in the United States; by 1982, there was already a substantial amount more, with over 350 programs. "Approximately 27000 inmates, representing almost 9% of the total population of incarcerated adults and adolescents in the country, were receiving some form of post-secondary education." (Williams, 2000). It has been only during the past two decades in which the standard of how substantial higher education is in prison has heightened dramatically. Many historians and sociologists were brought into the prison system as teachers for education programs. The educational programs offered in the US prison system typically include the following types of courses: Basic literacy skills (reading, writing, calculating, speaking, listening, and problem solving) General Education Development (GED) Post-secondary education Special education English literacy Life skills training Vocational training These programs are defined by the US Department of Education as "that part of the total correctional process that focuses on changing the behavior of offenders through planned learning experiences and learning environments," ("US", 2005). "Prison-based education is the single most effective tool for lowering recidivism." (Karpowitz and Kenner, n.d.). The impact that programs like these had on the rate of recidivism were noticeable immediately; inmates who learned educational and social skills while in prison were found highly less likely to return to prison in their lifetime. Not only does education in the prison system work in terms of helping incarcerated persons get on with their life after prison, it also provides an important means of recreation for inmates during their time in prison. "The fact is that unless paroles and others released from confinement have the skills needed to obtain and keep a job, they are apt to find themselves back in the same circumstances that produced their criminal behavior in the first place" (Spangenberg, 2004). After being given and proved the life altering benefits of education, one would think that it would be a high priority for both the prison administration and for politicians to not only sustain what education there is in prisons now, but to increase and advance it even more. The truth is, education actually has a very low and decreasing status within prisons; taking from what has been discussed - the rate of recidivism decreases with more education in prison, and vice versa; it seems only obvious that the most intelligent and successful method in keeping persons from reentering prison after their release, is to enforce a strong and mandatory education system in all prisons. References Davidson, Howard S. (1995). Schooling in a "Total Institution": Critical Perspectives on Prison Education. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=15099801 Karpowitz, D., & Kenner, M. (n.d.). Education as Crime Prevention : The Case for Reinstating Pell Grant Eligibility for the Incarcerated. Retrieved December 27, 2005, from http://72.14.207.104/searchq=cache:iwP4reV4gJMJ:www.bard.edu/bpi/images/crime_report.pdf+education+in+us+prison+system&hl=en "PARC". (n.d.). The Prison Crisis in the US. Retrieved December 27, 2005, from http://www.prisonactivist.org/parc/ Patel, R., & McMurray, P. (n.d.). The Prison Dilemma. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://www.digitas.harvard.edu/perspy/old/issues/2000/apr/prison.html Spangenberg, G. (2004). Current Issues in Correctional Education. Retrieved December 27, 2005, from http://www.caalusa.org/correct_ed_paper.pdf "Wikipedia". (2005) Prison. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitentiary Yeonopolus, J.M. (n.d.). Innovative Programs for Inmates. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://www.doc.state.ok.us/DOCS/OCJRC/OCJRC94/940650a.htm Zogby, J. (2004, July). The Crisis in America's Prisons. Retrieved December 27, 2005, from http://www.aaiusa.org/wwatch/071204.htm Read More