As an educator who has taught, tutored, and mentored convicted felons on passing their GED, I have thought a great deal about education within prisons. I have dealt with the emotions of those who have failed the GED test—some by the narrowest margin, others, not even close. To me, the real issue is not about education in prisons but what we expect as a society from our correctional facilities and the human beings that are incarcerated within them. No matter what accusation or conviction, no matter if the inmate was falsely accused or actually committed a crime, he or she is still a human being. Human beings have human emotions. So even in the dankest of prisons, you will have people in search of their humanity, their dignity, and even hopes for a better day.

Taxing Inmates
There have been recent efforts in Massachusetts to tax inmates for their services while locked up. But inmates have no money. All inmate money comes from the outside. It comes from us—those who are not locked up—so actually it's a back door tax on people who care about our fellow human beings who happen to be incarcerated. Instead of taxing inmates, we need to give inmates the opportunity to think and use their brains in classes while they are locked up. Taking away cigarettes, TV, and weight rooms, and taxing inmates for services are not efforts that promote rehabilitation or reform for prisoners.

With mandatory sentences, cuts in education programs, and stricter enforcement, we are faced with the issue of the purpose of prison: for rehabilitation and reform or for punishment.

Can a person learn while incarcerated? Damn right they can and do. The big question is: What are they learning and who is doing the teaching? If people are not taught the right thing to do and know, then the opposite will happen: people with negative thoughts and negative energy will captivate inmates and teach them to become better criminals! Because of this, I think education in prisons should be mandatory, even for lifers.

Not counting the few who are framed, most inmates find themselves convicted of an act that they actually did, so they will accept this time of penance; in their hearts they have already convicted themselves. Educational programs help prisoners to better think their way through life rather than react their way through; when they think their way through they are in control, not the Chief Officer, not the warden, and not even the fellow inmates.

Maurice Penn is a career counselor/job developer for an alternative high school program at City Roots, Boston. He can be reached at 617-635-4920.