ng both young and adult prisoners. It must deal with people who are illiterate in English although they may be literate in their native languages. Since beginning with basic education and vocational training is often necessary, the subjects in these areas form the majority of the courses available.
Educational counseling is often offered in conjunction with many of these programs. The scope of this paper will not allow for an in-depth discussion of the goals and methods of prison counseling. In brief, the counseling tends to impress the prisoner with the achievements possible through education and helps determine what sort of education would be best suited to that person's abilities and interests.
The objectives of these programs vary. For instance, the primary intent of the Chapel Hill study was to research the prison system and the methods of rehabilitation employed; it did not seek to educate and was only temporary. Jason Newman's "street law" classes were intended to familiarize inmates with the law that had put them behind bars. This new understanding of the law would also aid them in knowing how to stay within it. The government programs were conceived with more general goals in mind. When Elmira opened in 1876, as the first reformatory for men (as opposed to a strictly punishing institution), education was proclaimed as the "keystone in the arch of reform." The government has expanded on that objective since then.
The primary consideration in all correctional facilities instituting educational programs is the large amount of illiteracy and other special learning problems. Teachers of remedial subjects and special education are required for the benefit of those who are unable to read or write or those inmates with physical or psychological handicaps.
The aim of prison education is rehabilitation. Therefore, the eye of the administration of any project has to be turned toward the prisoners' futures in...