The Conundrum

. Most of my students were dedicated and worked hard to attain their certifications. Still a small minority didn’t give a rats ass and were waiting to be paroled. The sooner the better, and to my surprise they were released. It became a viscous cycle. Released, reoffend, and return was what I witnessed throughout my career. They were defiant, and claimed to be persecuted political prisoners. I always informed them their victims were the ones persecuted, and pointed that out to them. That usually got me a snarl. They didn’t last long in my class and I was surprised to see them paroled. They hadn’t completed any of their requirements to be released, but the department let them go. I learned later that the sanctions of their parole was to complete all requirements they hadn’t completed in school. As much as I could tell, by looking at their school files, that never happened. They reoffended before completing any sanction. Most didn’t even make an attempt.

.The MDOC Education Administration decided they would no longer let students without a high school diploma or GED certification enroll in vocational programming. Students returning from reoffending were no longer allowed to reenroll in vocational programing without proof of having a graduation certification. I can’t tell you how many times I heard them run their mouths about how they were now being oppressed by not being allowed to enroll in vocational programming. It was simple. I would inform them. The department has produced the data on recidivism, and found that those inmates with a GED or high school diploma were more likely not to return to prison. They were once again on the wrong side of the data this time. Then the department issued another policy directive, based on a recent legislative initiative, that basically informed inmates they had to have a GED to be paroled. This one piece of legislation was enough to start filling the prison schools with students.

.I had heard of many successes with the implementation of that legislation. I had encouraged my students returning to Detroit to make sure they got in touch with Focus Hope. They taught machining skills and would find them immediate employment once they finished the machining CNC classes. I had heard from the teachers at Focus Hope who thanked me for sending them their way. I also had a student who was very sharp, and not only received his GED but had graduated from my class as well. I was able to set him up with a program that was started on the east side of Detroit for recovering addicts and he would have been my first graduate to place in a work program. Unfortunately, upon his release he caught the bus for a mall in Southfield, returned to Detroit, and cut off his tether. He had officially absconded. He was later rearrested in a crack house not far from were he was to begin working. I was totally exasperated. Once again questioning why I chose to teach, and especially teach here? I had an MBA and felt I could have done something better than teach! It would be awhile before I could shake that feeling. ..Prison Stories To Be Continued…