The Correction Education Programs in the Correctional Facilities - Case Study Example

An external grant proposal to an educational organization requesting money for an English writing program for incarcerated adults Cover letter Dear Sir/Madam Please find attached my proposal in request of funding for the English writing program in the New York correctional facility. Initially, the program was funded by the House Correctional Funding, which has ended, thus leaving an open end for institutions such as yours to step in and ensure that the inmates are offered correctional education that would help them fit into the society after serving their term. Throughout this program, it has been noted that most of the inmates benefit hugely from the program as the English writing program allows them to acquire writing skills that allow them to proceed to post-secondary education after release. I find the impact of correctional education in our society increasingly stimulating for my course such that I would like to pursue it even further and ensure that the rate of re-incarceration is minimized by providing inmates with an equal opportunity to pursue their educational and career dreams. In addition, the correctional education first focuses on changing the attitudes of the inmates towards education thus promoting positivity towards education, which offers a stepping stone for the inmates once they are released into the society thus facilitating their success and preventing engagement in other offenses or violation of their release terms. Thank you for adequately considering this proposal and I am positive that I will be hearing from you soon enough. Yours sincerely (Name) Summary Among other services, educational programs form the most important programs offered by different educational agencies and correctional facilities to the incarcerated in preparation for transition into the community. Educational programs are increasingly being adopted into the correctional facilities, detention centers, and prisons. It is important to note that most of the inmates have had initial negative experiences in their education, which have led to reduced self-confidence and development of negative attitudes towards learning. As such, correctional education is important in improving the attitudes that such offenders have concerning learning that form contributory factors towards under-education and illiteracy (U.S. Department of Education). With the current employment environment, employers go for professionally trained employees, who have great proficiency in handling the various jobs. As such, to allow inmates to fit into the community effectively after completion of their terms, it is important to offer them educational programs that would prepare them to embark on certain careers, or to pursue post-secondary education that would usher them into career lines to improve their lives and avoid engagement into other offenses. The English writing program provides an opportunity for both those who speak English as the first language and those who speak it as a second language to learn various aspects that would allow for effective entry and fitting into the post-secondary education environment (Davis, Steele and Bozick 1). To facilitate the success and effectiveness of this program, it is important to employ various teaching aids including computers and other electronic gadgets that would allow for proper reaching out to the educational needs of the inmates, especially those who have learning difficulties. Literature Review In the US, more than 700,000individuals are released from the prisons, according to the statistics presented by RAND Corporation (Davis, Steele and Bozick xiii). Interestingly, out of al these individuals, four of every ten individuals are re-incarcerated as a result of violating their release terms or engaging in entirely new offenses. According to various researchers, inmate education provides one of the most important ways through which such a problem can be solved. Through imparting proper training, skills, and knowledge I the inmates while still incarcerated, such individuals are adequately supported in their reintegration into the community. It is highly challenging to provide individuals with vocational training and any other form of instructions after they are released. Case in point, individuals who have been incarcerated before are more likely to be less educated as compared to the general public due to the changing educational and training patterns. Most of such individuals do not have a high school diploma, while others are likely to have only completed their high school education and have not participated in any form of tertiary or post-secondary education. Such individuals do not have any occupational skill vital for excellence in the labor market. In addition, most individuals face stigmatization after release due to the presence of a felony conviction in their record, an aspect that makes it difficult for such individuals to find employment. The 2008 recession also added to these difficulties through the experienced cuts in terms of funding within the vocational training and educational programs in correctional facilities (Davis and Bozick). This made it difficult for the inmates to experience utmost rehabilitation within the prison. However, with the ravishing evidence of the effectiveness and impact of correctional education in relation to prevention of re-incarceration of individuals after release provides a window for opportunity for various organizations within and outside the government to invest in such programs as part of their long-term strategies of fighting crime (Wilson, Gallagher and Mackenzie 348). According to research done by the RAND Corporation concerning correctional education, which involved meta-analytically reviewing the educational programs within the prisons and reviewing scientific literature, correctional education is highly important in promoting post-incarceration integration into the community. The research involved 58 studies of the impact of correctional education within the US, which had been published from 1980 to 2011. From the studies, the researchers established a link between involvement in correctional education programs and reduced chances of re-incarceration. As such, those who had participated in these programs while still incarcerated had a 43 percent less chance of returning to the correctional facilities in a period of three years after their release as compared to those who had not participated in such programs (Davis and Bozick). In addition, apart from reduced chances of returning to prison after release, it is clear that individuals who have received correctional education while still in prison are presented with increased chances of getting employment (Chappell 150). With involvement of the criminal justice department in promoting employment of individuals released from prison, it is thus critical to prepare such individuals for the job market by imparting them with the required skill that would facilitate proper transition into the labor force or into the post-secondary educational institutions. It is clear that the benefits of such programs in terms of reducing recidivism surpass the costs involved in their implementation. As such, different organizations are thus provided with an opportunity to involve themselves in solving the experienced budget constraints to such programs and ensure that the sustainability of such programs is upheld to ensure that all the inmates are provided with an opportunity to sharpen their skills in preparation for life after prison. Project Narrative This project aims at adequately preparing offenders for reintegration into the education system through offering them English writing skills that would allow for successful enrollment and continuation with post-secondary education and subsequent entering into career lines to support themselves and refrain from other offensive activities. In addition, the project aims at providing inmates with the effective resources that would allow for proper education of individuals that have difficulties in learning, and promotion of positive attitudes towards learning. To facilitate the success of the project, computer aided programs will be put in place to allow the inmates to adequately understand the writing skills, coupled with classroom programs that will be run within three months for every individual to ensure that they are well conversant with English writing. The inmates will be divided into groups with the program starting with the inmates that are close to their release dates. In addition, the students will be rewarded with certificates upon completion of their courses to instill in them confidence towards pursuing further education upon release. To evaluate the success of the program, various indicators will be applied including: increased absorption of release inmates into post-secondary education; assessment of the performance of the inmates in terms of English writing; increase in career opportunities for released inmates from the New York correctional center and increased participation of individuals who speak English as a second language. The correctional center’s website and institutional based briefing meetings will be used as outreach and dissemination avenues for both the inmates and educators in advocating for the importance of the project. Project Description The rate of re-incarceration among inmates is highly contributed towards by failure to effectively fit back into the society (L. M. Davis). Most of the inmates lack the proper skills that would allow them to either reintegrate into the education system and further their education or into the labor force. As such, to cater for their basic needs, such individuals are forced to get involved in criminal activities such as theft and extortion, which lead them back to prison. The English writing programs is among other programs that provide the inmates with the skills required to effectively fit into the community upon release. This project will employ ban adequate budget towards increasing program for the training of the inmates in English skills, and merging such programs with pre-existing programs to maximize learning amidst structural programs such as transfers, lockdowns, short stays, and restricted movement (Dixon, Rowell and Mentor 274). To facilitate quick learning and effective student outcomes, the program aims at employing adequate proficient educators who would give the students personalized attention, especially those with learning difficulties, towards attaining English writing skills and developing positive attitudes towards learning that would promote enrolment into post-secondary education after release. In addition, the program will facilitate the use of other learning aids such as computers and projectors that would facilitate learning among the large number of inmates through effective instructional mechanisms. Project Outcomes This project is expected to improve enrolment into post-secondary education among the inmates upon release by imparting in them the necessary English writing skills that would allow them to fit into such institutions. In addition, the program would reduce recidivism among released inmates by providing them with an avenue towards which they can pursue further success in their lives (L. M. Davis). Another potential outcome of the project is improved employment of released inmates from the New York correctional facility after release due to increased rates of pursuing post-secondary education and acquiring the necessary skills for entering into the job market. Project Schedule June July August September October Recruitment of trainers Procurement of learning devices and materials Training of trainers Allocation of trainer roles Categorizing students into learning groups Creating the learning timetable Educating the inmates Conclusion It is evident that the correction education programs implemented in the correctional facilities form an important part of preparing the inmates for proper reintegration into the society. The English writing program specified within this project is especially an important part of sharpening the English writing skills of inmates, especially those who speak English as a second language, in view of allowing them to easily enroll into post-secondary education and pursue different career lines that would prevent them from engaging in other criminal activities. The rate of individuals being re-incarcerated because of violating the release terms or committing other offenses is attributable to poor re-integration of the released inmates into the community. As such, it is important to establish mechanisms that would ensure that such individuals successfully fit back into the society. This English writing education program provides an avenue through which inmates can be adequately motivated and prepared into engaging in tertiary education that would allow them to acquire skills necessary for success in the work environment. Work Cited Chappell, C. A. "Post Secondary Correctional Education and Recidivism: a Meta-Analysis of Research Conducted 1990-1999." Journal of Correctional Education 55.2 (2004): 148-169. Davis, Lois and Robert Bozick. Learning behind bars...the effectiveness of education in prisons. 16 September 2013. http://www.vera.org/blog/learning-behind-barsthe-effectiveness-education-prisons. 6 May 2015. Davis, Lois M. Education and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook. 22 August 2013. http://www.rand.org/news/press/2013/08/22.html. 6 May 2015. Davis, Lois M., et al. "How Effective Is Correctional Education and Where Do We Go from Here?" 2014. Bureau of Justice Assistance. http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR500/RR564/RAND_RR564.sum.pdf. 6 May 2015. Dixon, John Rowell and Kenneth Mentor. Encyclopedia of Prisons & Correctional Facilities. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2004. U.S. Department of Education. Correctional Education. 2015. 6 May 2015. . Wilson, D. B., C. A. Gallagher and D. L. Mackenzie. "A Meta-Analysis of Corrections-Based Education, Vocation, and Work Programs for Adult Offenders." Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency 37.4 (2000): 347–368. Read More