News
Prison Taught Me to Teach
By Petride Mudoola / NewVision One of my favorite things to do when I meet an inmate for the first time is to ask: “What is your story?” Asking that question in a jail setting usually results in a non-trusting glare from the inmate. However, when I further define the question by letting the inmate
International Men's Day Invitation
By Jerome Teelucksingh I want to invite all members of PrisonEducation.com to observe International Men’s Day on 19 November 2014. International Men’s Day continues to cross geographical, political, cultural, and language barriers and was celebrated by boys, girls, men, and women of different ethnicities, ages, religions, and classes. The theme for 2014 is “Working Together
Florida Prisoner Awarded $1.2 Million for Burn Injuries
A Florida jury has awarded a prisoner $1.2 million in a negligence suit against the GEO Group, the nation’s second-largest for-profit prison company, following a trial that was delayed more than a year after a juror said he was afraid to reach a verdict.
The case stemmed from an August 28, 2007 argument between prisoners Roy D. Hyatt and Rodney Smith in the dayroom of their unit at the South Bay Correctional Facility. Following the spat, Smith used a microwave to boil a container of water. He then returned to the dayroom and threw the water on Hyatt, who sustained first- and second-degree burns to approximately 30% of his body and lost the use of one eye.
Hyatt sued GEO in state court, alleging the company was aware of other incidents in which prisoners had used microwaves to boil water to assault other prisoners.
Hyatt’s complaint, filed by attorney Philip G. Thompson, claimed that GEO had breached its duty of care by allowing prisoners unrestricted “access to microwaves to boil water which could be used as a weapon against other inmates.” The suit also alleged that it was reasonably foreseeable that the incident involving Hyatt and Smith could occur, since GEO did not remove or restrict prisoners’ access to microwaves.
On May 10, 2011, shortly before the trial in the case was to begin, a juror told Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley that he feared for his safety if he returned a verdict against Hyatt.
Professor Publishes Book on Prison Education
By Kimberly Weinberg / Bradford Today Dr. Tony Gaskew, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, understands the concept of social justice from both a personal and academic perspective. In his new book, “Rethinking Prison Reentry: Transforming Humiliation into Humility,” Gaskew uses his experiences as a young black man in
Prison Education Program Wins School of the Year Award: San Francisco’s Five Keys Charter School Astoundingly Successful
Teachers from charter schools around California had been waiting with anticipation to hear which of their schools would be awarded the 2014 Hart Vision Award for Charter School of the Year. At the California Charter School Association’s annual conference in San Jose on March 11, 2014, the winner was announced, and it was a good
Book Review: Banking and Financial Management Course (1st Ed.)
Reviewed by Gary Hunter
Life outside prison crosses the minds of most prisoners daily, but how many times do those thoughts include the direction of their financial future? Prisoner Assistant has put together a helpful text book, the Banking and Financial Management Course, specifically designed to help prisoners understand and plan for their future finances.
Banking and Financial Management offers a detailed description of how financial institutions operate and how they can be successfully used. The reader will learn the subtle differences between a debit card, credit card and ATM card, for example. The book also describes a number of fee-based financial services offered by Prisoner Assistant.
Chapter one addresses banking basics with a concise explanation of what financial institutions offer and how they work. Debit card and credit card functions are clearly explained. Prisoner Assistant even provides a list of questions that will help you find the financial institution best suited to your personal needs.
Chapter two examines savings accounts, and illustrations take the reader through an easy to understand, step-by-step process. Technological advances now offer everyone a variety of ways to access their funds once they are deposited in a financial institution.
Retroactivity of Drug Guidelines Amendments
Today, the United States Sentencing Commission has scheduled a vote as to whether the November 2014 Amendments to the federal drug sentencing guidelines will apply retroactively. The new Amendments reduce the drug sentencing guidelines by 2 points and can result in a sentence reduction of 6 months to 2 years for many inmates. Most legal
Three Inmates Mistakenly Released from Illinois Jails
When Cook County Jail guards told prisoner Jeremiah Harris to pack up to go home on September 16, 2013, he told them to “quit playin’.” Harris, 25, who had been serving a 12-year sentence as a habitual criminal and was being held at the Cook County Jail for a court appearance, became the third inmate