Assisting Families of Inmates (http://www.afoi.org), a terrific Virginia-based organization that supports families of inmates, provides a very informative information sheet on their website regarding how to prepare a child to visit a parent in prison. It is highly recommended that you heed the advice in this document.
The document titled “Preparing a Child” reads as follows:
In the June 2011 issue (Volume 62, Issue 2) of the Journal of Correctional Education much is talked about. Studies are presented which show the positive effect of post-secondary correctional education (college in prison), a discussion is held upon factors affecting student success in post-secondary correctional education, and a paper is presented which discusses the future of research on post-secondary correctional education.
While all of this research is interesting to someone who follows prison education policy developments closely, it’s the common thread of these that should be of interest to prison educators and prisoner-students alike. The common thread is the ‘Incarcerated Individuals Program’ (IIP) which was formerly called the ‘Incarcerated Youthful Offender’ program (IYO). The ‘Incarcerated Youthful Offender’ program, started in 1998, used to provide funding for vocational education, preparation for higher education, and higher education in prisons across the country to prisoners 25-years old and younger
Prison education, also known as Inmate Education and Correctional Education, is a very broad term that encompasses any number of educational activities occurring inside a prison. These educational activities include both vocational training and academic education. The goal of such activities is to prepare the prisoner for success outside of prison and to enhance the rehabilitative aspects of prison.
Educational programs offered inside prisons are typically provided and managed by the prison systems in which they reside. Funding for the programs are provided through official correctional department budgets, private organizations (e.g. colleges, nonprofits, etc.), and the prisoners or their families, if the prisoner is pursuing education through a correspondence program.
Educational opportunities can be divided into two general categories: academic education and vocational training.
CZ: Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
Janice: For the past 14 years, I’ve been teaching in a state prison in Indiana. I’m the “mama bear” to 50 adult men each day. They range in age from 17-74, with abilities from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The average guy is under 5th grade. We study the five subjects necessary to pass the GED test.
I’m also an author and speaker. I wrote Locked Up With Success: A Prison Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap in Any Classroom. My “mission” when I speak is to spread the word about the value of correctional education. In addition, it seems counterintuitive, but I stress how the answer to public education is right under our noses – in prisons.
As if I’m not busy enough, I’m also beginning an exciting new venture. I am putting my successful system online for anyone who is working on their GED. I have an organized but simplified way to help students pass the test as efficiently and quickly as possible. They’ll have personal access to me when they have questions or concerns. The emphasis will be on math because that is the biggest challenge for most students. The other emphasis will be on how to write an essay.
For me, giving due credit to those who deserve it is crucial. As such, I’d like to tell you a story about my friends over at Intimo Media. Several weeks ago, I decided to expand my internet exposure. At the time, the Prison Education Blog was doing well, with close to 400 readers each month.