NCJ Number
136763
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 38-44
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Correctional educators need to examine three issues central to prison education: who are the criminals and how did they become the way they are, what are the objectives of prison education, and what are some practical ways in which these objectives can be achieved.
Abstract
The students of a correctional educator are often hostile and imbued in the prison culture; they have a long criminal record and a high likelihood of committing another crime. They also have the characteristics of a potential decision-maker, citizen, and friend. Three general objectives for correctional education are proposed: educating for dispositions rather than skills, encouraging inmates to become true citizens by engaging with the conventional, promoting personal growth and self-esteem, and working to establish a connection between the prisoner and society. Teachers can translate these objectives into action by operationalizing their own belief in the intrinsic value of education, building an ethical or moral dimension into education, and focusing on citizenship and political development. 22 references