Reference Materials

Barton, Paul E. and Coley, Richard J., Captive Students: Education and Training in America's Prisons, (Educational Testing Service, 1996). Available from: Policy information Center, Mail Stop 04-R, Educational Testing Service, Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ 08541 (609) 734-5694.

Black, S.; Rouse, R.; and Wickert, R., The Illiteracy Myth. A Comparative Study of Prisoner Literacy Abilities. Sydney, Australia: University of Technology, 1990. (ED 328 798)

Coffee, Osa D. and Knoll, John F., Choosing Life Skills -A Guide for Selecting Life Skills Programs for Adult and Juvenile Offenders (January 1998). Office of Correctional Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202, Life Skills Reintegration Program, Eastern Kentucky University: Richmond, Kentucky
Website: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/AdultEd/OCE/LifeSkills/

Collier, Virginia P. and Thomas, Wayne P., Educating Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students in Correctional Settings (2001)
Website: http://www.easternlincs.org/correctional_education/articles/educating-linguist-collier.pdf

In correctional education, multiple challenges for designing appropriate and effective coursework for linguistically and culturally diverse students include consideration of students' emotional and socio-cultural needs, the type of linguistic and academic support needed, and ways to stimulate cognitive development. When resources are available, teaching academic subjects, technical skills, microcomputer use, vocational knowledge, and other important life skills through students' primary language as well as second language is crucial to students' chances for productive lives upon release and for avoiding re-incarceration.

Evans, Twila S., Corrections Education: How We Do It (2000), Pennsylvania ABLE, Administrators Handbook, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Website: http://www.easternlincs.org/correctional_education/correxhow.pdf

This article describes how the correctional facility in the County of Northampton, Pennsylvania dispenses its daily educational activities to the inmate population. Detailed is a description of who they are, what they do, how they accomplish their educational goals, and why they do what they do. The concluding section lists six important lessons to be shared.

Fleischman, Howard L., Correctional Education: Is It Working? Self Help Guide for Evaluating Vocational and Adult Education Programs (September 1995) Development Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA 22209-2023, (703) 276-0677.
Website: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/SelfHelpGuide/

Haigler, Karl O., Harlow, Caroline, O'Conner, Patricia, and Campbell, Anne, Executive Summary of Literacy Behind Prison Walls: Profiles of the Prison Population from the National Adult Literary Survey (1994), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. (ED 377 325)
Website: http://www.nces.ed.gov/naal/resources/execsummprison.asp

Heyman, Bob, Buswell Griffiths, Taylor, John L., and O'Brien, Gregory. Risk Management in the Rehabilitation of Offenders with Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Study, Risk Management: An International Journal (2002). Volume: 4, Issue: 2, pages 33 - 45.
Website: http://www.perpetuitypress.com

McKee, John M. and Clements, Carl B. The Challenge of Individualized Instruction in Corrections, Journal of Correctional Education. (September 2000), Volume 51, Issue 3.
Website: http://www.easternlincs.org/correctional_education/Mckee.pdf

In this article, 14 challenges faced by correctional educators in implementing individualized instruction are investigated. Each challenge is developed in the context of available knowledge and the author's own experience in working with adult offenders. The hallmarks of individualized instruction are described with particular emphasis on a systems approach that includes: A theory-driven model of behavior change, specification of learning goals, assessment of skills, and a focused prescription of instructional lessons that promote and shape academic skills. In addition to describing successes with programmed instructional materials, other validated approaches such as Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching are reviewed. The recommendations in this article should provide a basis for constructing a highly accountable and successful educational program.

Meeder, Hans, Deputy Assistant Secretary - Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, Preparing America's Future: Enhancing the Quality of Adult Education and Literacy
Website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/ncfl.doc

O'Callaghan, David, Practice Issues in Working With Young Abusers Who Have Learning Disabilities, Child Abuse Review. (November/December 1998). Volume: 7, Issue: 6, pages 435 - 448.

This article reflects on one service's (G-MAP) experience in developing treatment methods for sexually abusing youth with learning disabilities. There is evidence that the learning disabled are over-represented in services for sex offenders. Many factors may impact on this overrepresentation. Available data on prevalence are reviewed in this article, along with perspectives on routes into sexual offending. The experience at G-MAP suggests that the factors commonly associated with the development of sexual aggression are equally applicable to understanding this behavior in youth with a learning disability. Current approaches emphasize integrated models that operate at individual, familial, situational, and communal/societal levels. G-MAP's experience in working with learning-disabled juvenile sex offenders highlights a number of themes. First, therapy should not be viewed as the primary change medium. Allied social and environmental interventions are equally important. Second, change goals must be realistic, such that successful intervention may be viewed as a reduction in the frequency or nature of abusive behavior. Third, treatment providers must work closely with caregivers to provide support, motivation, reinforcement, and monitoring. Fourth, a multidisciplinary treatment approach is required.

Shethar, A. Literacy and 'Empowerment? A Case Study of Literacy behind Bars. Anthropology And Education Quarterly. (December 1993) 24, no. 4: pages 357 - 372. (EJ 478 702)

Steurer, Stephen J. Ph.D., Historical Development of a Model for Correctional Education and Literacy
Website: http://www.easternlincs.org/correctional_education/articles/historical-development-steurer.pdf

Taymans, Juliana M. and Corley, Mary Ann, Enhancing Services to Inmates with Learning Disabilities: Systemic Reform of Prison Literacy Programs
Website: http://www.easternlincs.org/correctional_education/articles/enhancing-services-taymans.pdf

This article presents principles of systemic reform that can guide correctional education staff through a process designed to improve educational services for inmates with LD. Steps to systemic reform of literacy programs include the following: (1) bring all the stakeholders together to create a shared vision and develop an action plan; (2) enlist administrative support; (3) provide meaningful and ongoing professional development opportunities; (4) identify resources; and (5) continuously monitor and improve the change process.

Whichard, Judith A., Feller, Richard W., and Kastner, Ruthanne, Incidence of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome in Colorado Inmates, Journal of Correctional Education. (September 2000). Volume: 51, Issue: 3, pages 294 - 299.

This study examined the incidence of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS) in Colorado inmates who were participating in prison education programs. SSS is a visual perceptual dysfunction associated with an excessive sensitivity of the retina of the eye to particular frequencies of the light spectrum. Several studies indicate that SSS is a factor in reading disabilities. Individuals with this dysfunction report print and background distortions when attempting reading or writing tasks that may include blurring or movement of print, restricted span of recognition, and problems with sustaining focus. Such difficulties continue even after full optometric or ophthamological examinations and prescribed corrective lenses. Six prisons, representing the spectrum of security levels and educational program delivery, participated in the current study. A sample of 155 inmates was selected from these sites based on age, gender, ethnicity, and attained education level. All subjects completed SSS prescreening; 72 subjects completed full screening. Of the 72 subjects, 11.1 percent had low levels of SSS; 18.1 percent had moderate levels; and 79.8 percent had high levels. When given remedial colored overlays, 55.6 percent of the subjects had considerable reading improvement; 33.3 percent improved moderately. This high incidence of inmate SSS is particularly significant when contrasted with the 12-14 percent of the non-incarcerated population estimated to have SSS.

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