Did you know distance education was available for prison inmates? Yep! Now, some of you all may have known this already, but I didn’t. My next question is, why on earth would distance education be available or even an option for inmates?
I really appreciate how much distance education has evolved, and the layers of research that has taken place. The development and technologies that support distance education is awesome. Not only that, but most people have probably elected for higher education via distance to support conflicting schedules, and having the ability to learn around everyday responsibilities. Why would this be made available to inmates.
The platform surrounding distance education involve both synchronous and asynchronous learning styles. Again, the level of thought that professors have put into choosing which style would best fit the field of learning for that particular subject leaves me only curious. By all means, education is important, and if it is taught, no matter to what audience, they should capture the full learning experience. So, how is it determined the way the course is set up for the inmates to really grasp the subject with research, readings, etc.? According to Adams State University, it’s program offers educational subjects from history to sociology.
My next question is who pays for this? I could have sworn grants and financial aid are not even close to being an option for anyone who is involved with crime. To my knowledge, this very question is asked on the FAFSA application.
What do you think about this?
I strongly support education for the incarcerated.
ReplyDeleteOnce an inmate has fulfilled his or her sentence they are released back into the public. If an inmate is imprisoned for a long enough period that they could earn a degree I would expect for their crime to have been serious enough that their options for employment would be limited upon release.
With the above in mind, a former convict who is also devoid of education is limited only further in their newfound freedom. A former convict who is unable to find stable employment would seemingly be more apt to engage in recidivism.
I also believe in education for inmates. The dedication, and work required would help to cast a positive light on an individual when he or she leaves prison and attempts to enter the job market. Distance education requires a great deal of responsibility that would prove a former inmate is taking positive, tangible steps to improve their life. I think this is especially important in juvenile prisons, in order to stop the negative path and formulate a new one at an early age.
ReplyDeleteDistance education for inmates presents practical problems, as you have mentioned, the financial being the most prominent. But given that many schools receive government funding, I have no doubt that arrangements could be made to provide distance education in government prisons. Naturally the creation of such an agreement would take a great deal of work, but it could be done.
Distance education allows a person a chance to better themselves, and who needs that chance more than an inmate who made a poor choice and wants to change his life?