Hello All,
I just returned from a wonderful gathering of professionals and policy-makers in the field of correctional education hosted by the Vera Institute in order to discuss how we as a professional community can better serve correctional education students. The discussion grew from a previous ED summit held last Fall which began this important discussion. Throughout the day we talked about many varied subjects within the field. What I'd like to do is share with the group a few topics at a time and ask for your feedback.
The point that seemed to be made if not most often, then definitely most emphatically, was that one thing that is needed to enhance and aid the field of correctional education (aside, of course, from more funding sources) is a change in the culture of corrections. Suggestions were made that we examine our professional use, or allowance of the use, of the terms "offenders" or "ex-offenders" rather than "students" or "learners" and how we can use the power of these words and the impressions they create to begin making small changes in the way our student population is viewed by the rest of the world.
I also tend to believe that words are extraordinarily powerful and that the labels we assign people or groups of people serve to inform how others behave toward them.
Please respond with your thoughts, feelings, impressions and insights on this observation. Thanks and I look forward to hearing what you think.
--Heather
Comments
Hello Heather,
It was nice meeting you at the Vera discussion- -and I was very impressed with the tablet and the potential for correctional populations! Looking forward to hearing more when the tablets are implemented at the pilot sites! My context to the discussion is to work towards improving the quality of Post-Secondary Correctional Education (PSCE) programming in the State of California. On the use of terms, when I entered the public community college system right after my parole violation, I was seen as a comm. college student. Yes, I was on parole but I did not have to share any of this with the school. Changing the culture of parole and corrections, in my opinion, means changing legislation on how we are seen. CA Penal code identifies us as "inmates" ex-felons". I am all for shifting perceptions of inmate/students but where the problem arises is can we penetrate the language of corrections? Of the criminal justice system? Or can the language be shifted once a person returns to the community? Yesterday, after the Vera Event, I had the opportunity to tour the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) Pre-Release and Reentry Services community-based progra. Many thanks to Stefan LoBuglio. I was very impressed with the culture and the identification of the use of the word "residents" as opposed to prisoners. Reflecting on the use of "residents" in Montgomery County, I believe it's a perfect example of a "step down" that contributes to the confidence building of the program residents to reengage with the community as citizens “reentering” the county. Ultimately, the criminal justice system is just that...a system that “we” (meaning those of us who have experienced incarceration) are identified at various parts of the this interlocking system. My perspective is if correctional education can somehow strengthen the bridge within this system, specifically, corrections, perhaps there can a window of opportunity to begin a dialogue to improve cross system coordination and collaboration.
Hello Luis! It was so nice meeting you yesterday as well. You make some extraordinary points about language and labels, but also about the often painfully slow rate of systemic change. While I was reading your post I started thinking about the changes identifying/labeling minorities, specifically African-Americans, have undergone in the last few decades. The country moved from "colored" to "black" to "African American," or a combination/exchange of the last two, in that time. The emergance of Political Correctness obviously played a part in this lexiconal evolution, but I'd say that so did the empowerment of the labelled community. The black community protested when they wanted a change, individually and collectively. It's a bit tricky, because the community of incarcerated students doesn't necessarily have that luxury. I'm not sure what that means, except maybe that we need to fight for the change in their stead and continue to raise consciousness. I also completely agree with your assertion that change comes more quickly if legislation is enacted. As several people noted at the Vera discussion, incentives, both positive and negative, individual and institutional, are powerful motivators. So we pass laws that mandate a change in the language like we passed laws requiring drivers to buckle up. We pass laws that require institutions of higher education to accept coursework completed while the student was incarcerated. Those are concrete steps we can take. And we think and talk and share in Communities of Practice like this as we go.
In the county facility where I teach, I have been corrected for using the term "students." I believe this is an effort to emphasize security as primary, education as secondary. I have resorted in memos to using the term "student/inmate," because I agree that a term of respect positively influences a student's performance.
In 1995 when I earned my h.s. diploma in the Los Angeles County jail system, we were referred to as inmates by custody personnel. The teacher who brought in our adult school packets for us to complete referred to us by our last names-- as was the policy via the partnership between the Sheriff's Dept. and the Public School district that contracted services. Last week, I was a guest speaker at a graduation held in the Los Angeles County Jail for inmates participating in a Life Skills program and for two inmates who earned their h.s. diploma while in custody. The first two h.s. graduates in the past 2 1/2 years since the correctional education programs were reorganized. Prior to the graduation, I was able to speak to the teachers who worked with the students. They shared how wonderful it was to work with the men and they were both proud of the accomplishments of these two men. I do believe the student/inmate is a term of respect within the educational environement inside the correctional facility, but once the student/inmate leaves the environment of the school and goes back to his cell or dorm, he is an inmate. Yes, security is always first! It's unfortunate your county will not allow the use of the word student!
Luis S. Garcia, Ed.D Cand.