Education and Rehabilitation in The Cage

I have written a very general overview on these topics of life in the cage, but I'd like to provide more specifics on these two topics. They're very much intertwined in terms of how they can influence the attitudes, perceptions, and opportunities for prisoners. I will start with education, then discuss rehabilitation, then offer general observations.

One of the very few things that the Arizona Department of Corrections is doing well is the general education and GED program. All new arrivals must pass a mandatory exam in math, reading, and writing. It's at around an eighth grade level. Even inmates with advanced degrees must pass these tests, which are given about once a month. So in my case, I had to take "remedial" classes for about three weeks until the test was offered. The "tutors" for the classes are other inmates who must have at least a high school or equivalent education. It goes without saying that there's quite a variety of quality amongst the tutors. When it was discovered that I clearly needed no help on the mandatory tests, I was left to my own devices and also helped out tutoring other students.

After passing the mandatory, an inmate has the choice to take GED classes, if they cannot provide proof of a high school diploma. The GED is strongly encouraged, it provides an increased pay rate and also is required for some jobs and for "higher" education options. An inmate may continue classes as long as it takes to pass all parts of the GED. The same tutors work with these students. The actual teachers in the classrooms (who are not inmates) deal with paperwork, organization, and support for the tutors and students.

The higher education options are much more limited, and considerably less efficient. There are a few classes taught by inmates. On my yard there is music theory, poetry, graphic novel writing (comic books), and more. These are taught by inmates and "come and go" with the teachers. There are long waiting lists for the popular classes. 

And then there is the Central Arizona College (CAC) vocational courses. Each yard has a different course. There is building maintenance (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HV AC, and etc.) on my yard. There are also cooking, welding, business, and custodial maintenance; each on a different yard.

This is nice, in theory, but there are several issues. First and foremost is the inefficiency that pervades most everything in the DOC. We are in class five hours a day, and of that time only one hour is actual teaching time. The content is limited to key ideas and much is omitted. Also, the classes are canceled frequently.

Another problem is that assignment to a yard is random. Rather than attempting to match an inmate's aptitude or interest, an inmate has only the option that is available on their yard. This is motivationally inefficient.

Finally, inmates may take correspondence courses, provided they are able to pay for them. There are some scholarships available, but theoretically, only if you do not already have a college degree. But an even bigger issue than this is the fact that courses cannot have any online component, which is virtually unheard of in this day and age. The prison system must acknowledge and utilize the technology of the times. While I'm certain that security is an issue, there are many safeguards that would prevent abuse of this technology.