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DOCUMMU RESUME ED 083 340 UD 013 860 TITLE School Behind Bars--A Descriptive Overview of Correctional Education in the American Prison System. INSTITUTION Syracuse Univ. Research Corp., N.Y. Policy Inst. SPONS AGENCY Ford Foundation, New York, N.Y. PrB DATE Jun 73 NOTE 378p. AVAILABLE FROM,policy Inst.., Syracuse Univ. Research Corp., 723 Univ. Ave., Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 (No price quoted) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$13.16 DESCRIPTORS *Correctional Education; Correctional Rehabilitation; Corrective Institutions; Educational Finance; *Educational History; Educational Philosophy; *Educational Planning; Educational Policy; *Educational Programs; Foundation Programs; Interviews; Prisoners; Private Financial Support; Program Development; *Surveys ABSTRACT This report, intended to be a descriptive yet analytical overview of correctional education programs, is organized into six chapters. Chapter one discusses the philosophical aspects (pro and con) of prisoner education. Chapter two traces the history of prisoner education from the roots of its beginning to the present. Chapter three presents the data collected by Syracuse University Research Corporation staff during interviews with correctional and educational authorities, through analysis of documents, and from correspondence and discussions with over 300 individuals who served as resource persons to the staff during the project. Chapterfour focuses on prisoner education in the future, its needs, problems and probable accomplishments. Chaptcr five presents a thorough model for prison authorities to follow in designing prison education programs. Chapter six presents findings, conclusions and recommendations--in the form of what might be considered a "blue print for action" for the Ford Foundation. Included are barriers to prisoner education programs, criteria for successful programs, suggestions in improvements that can or should be made, general and specific recommendations. A Bibliography of over 300 documents appears after chapter six. [Appendixes D and F, an interview schedule and document synopsis, have been deleted from this document for copyright and reproducibility reasons, respectively, as has also been a chart at p. 161, for the latter reason.] (Authcr/JM) FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF a report to EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO UUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM the FORD FOUNDATION THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN AT1NG IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL iNST 1 TOTE OF EDUCATION POSTON OR POLICY SMC SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION f.eN CO c SCHOOL BEHIND BARS -- a Descriptive Overviewof Correctional Education in the American Prison System Prepared by the Policy Institute 723 University Avenue Syracuse, New York 13210 Michael V. Reagen, Ph.D., Project Director Donald M. Stoughton, Assistant Director Thomas E. Smith, Research Associate Jonathan C. Davis, Project Assistant Under a Grant-in-Aid From: The Ford Foundation 320 East 43rd. Street New York, New York 10017 a scene of promiscuous and unrestricted intercourse, and universal riot a: A debauchery no attempt to give any kind of instruction " Walnut Street Jail, Philadelphia, Late Eighteenth Century "the chaplain standing in the semi-dark corridor, before the cell door, with a dingy lantern hanging to the grated bars, and teaching to the wretched convict in the dark- ness beyond the grated door the rudiments of reading or numbers." "prison discipline and treatment should be more effectively designed to maintain, stimulate, and awaken the higher susceptibilities of prisoners, to develop the moral instincts, to train them in orderly and industrial habits, and whenever possible to turn them out of prison better men and women physically and morally than when they came in." Gladstone Report, 1895 "The public has got to start pushing for real programs and pay that way, or they'll pay the other They just don't realize:These doors keep going around and around and around." An inmate, 1973 TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF PRISONEDUCATION: 1 " "PRO AND CON" by John Marsh II. A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISONER__- EDUCATION by Kenneth T. Martin 45 III. PRISONER EDUCATION TODAY by Donald M.Stoughton and Michael V. Reagen 69 IV. PRISuMER EDUCATION TOMORROW by John Marsh and Stuart N. Adams 133 V. A MODEL FOR CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION by T. Antoinette Ryan 153 VI. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 245 VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY 299 VIII. APPENDICES A. The Contributors 327 B. Resource Persons 335 C Site Visitations 351 D. Interview Schedule 355 E. Document Analysis Sheet 367 F. Document Synopsis 371 DEDICATION Richard T. Frost, Ph. D. of Dick Frost died on November9, 1972. A rather odd mixture Museum people gathered to mourn himfour days later at the Everson in Syracuse. In the group were cops, policyanalysts, politicians, professors family, a convicted Blacks, students, streetfreaks,attorneys, exconvicts, murderer and his warden. They came from as far away as Oregonand as nearby as the ghetto which starts two blocksfrom the museum. who They came to hear telegramsfrom, among others, the man who just lost the Vice Presidencyof the United States, the man largest wrote The Birdman of Alcatraz,and the man who heads the prison guard union in the world. They came to hear speeches from alife parolee who said Frost lawyer and sang the song of freedom;from a prominent Civil rights Blacks before prison negotiator who praisedFrost's courage in helping called Dick it was fashionable; from anAfrocoifed streetworker who educators "a beautiful dude"; and from one ofthe countries leading than he dared to admit to even Who said Dick Frost loved others more himself. professional Dick Frost devoted an enormous amountof personal and few in our society time and effort to trying tohelp those about whom care: the nearly 1,000,000 men,women and children who are incarcerated in America's jails, penitentiaries,prison and correctional facilities. He wasn't a bleeding heart, he was a no-nonsense characterwho could not be "conned" by cons-- and they loved him for it. This study, is one of theseveral projects Dick Frost wanted to do to 'elp prompt prison reform. His perception, his advice, his approach guidedus, his staff, throughout our research and writing. It is only fitting thatwe dedicate our report to his memory. Syracuse University Research Corporation Michael V. Reagen, Ph.D. June, 1973 Project Director ii Acknowledgements This report and the research upon which it was based was sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The 2yracuse University Research Corporation (SURC) is grateful to the Foundation. SURC is especially appreciative of the support and encouragement given SURC staff at the outset of the project by Mitchell Sviridoff, Vice President in charge of The Foundation's Division of National Affairs and Christopher F. Edley, formerly Officer in Charge of Government & Law Offices at The Ford Foundation and presently Executive Director of the United Negro College Fund. Many individuals played iaportant roles in the development of this report. Charles R. Wayne, SURC's Executive Vice President and General Manager, provided guidance at the crucial start of the project and warm encouragement and support throughout the report's development. Dr. Robert GoettelAdministrative Director of SURC's Policy Institute offered many useful suggestions. Donald Stoughton, Assistant Director of SURC's Justice Studies Group, deserves special mention.His contribution to this report was invaluable. Mr. Stoughton handled the logistical arrangements, shouldered the burden of cc lucting the largest number of personal interviews conducted by the staff, helped tabulate and analyze the data. Twelve other members of SURC staff were especially helpful. Jonathan C. Davis and Thomas E. Smith as3isted with the field work. Claire MacDowell did most of the document analysis.Kathy Kennedy iii F prepared the bibliography. Ken!.eth T. Martin contributed heavily to Chapter II. Katie Conway and Delores Doctor typed most of the manuscript. Stuart Glass tabulated data. Freddie Lakin contributed secretarial support. James Knoop and Ruth Aldrich are responsib le for facilitating the production of the report. Finally, Laurie Davis, my secretary, performed hundreds of the essential tasks that helped all work flow smoothly. Our consultants, Stuart N. Adams, John J. Marsh and T. Antoinette Ryan, produced thoughtful position papers which guided the staff in its research to, ho:efully, ask better questions during personal interviews and site visitations and seek better answers in analyzing documents and publications. Extensive liberties have been taken in recasting and blending portions of Drs. Adams and Marsh's position papers into this report. Dr. R:",n's "Model for Correctional Education" has been included as a separate section of the report.All three consultants made a substantial contribution to the report. Finally, the staff is grateful for the time and efforts of the several hundred correctional educators, prison officials, inmates guards, and academies who served as resource persons for the project. A list of these men and women appears in the appendix. Without the cooperation and generous support of all of these dedicated people, this study and report would not have been possible. Syracuse University Research Corporation Michael V. Reugen, Ph.D. June, 1973 Project Director iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i. BACKGROUND American