NCJ Number
141477
Journal
Large Jail Network Bulletin Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 9-10
Date Published
1991
Length
2 pages
Annotation
An inmate education program at one of the Los Angeles County jails is demonstrating the success of nontraditional solutions to the problem of how to provide services with scarce resources and reduce inmate behavioral problems.
Abstract
The program, "English as a Second Language," is available to 300 medium-security inmates in the south facility of the North/South Facility at Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in Saugus, California. Classes are provided under the auspices of the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District, which makes available two instructors and all necessary instructional materials. The only direct cost to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is the teachers' salaries. Traditional costs for classroom space and security were avoided by using the inmates' housing barracks as classrooms. In addition to teaching inmates basic English and life skills, the program has had a positive impact on inmate behavior and has contributed to increased cooperation between inmates and staff. Many gang members and those from different cultures have set aside traditional rivalries to maintain the viability of the education program.