Prisoner Education Information

TheBody

Hi everyone.

I am doing an essay for college on the sociologial impact of education on the reform of prisoners (in Dublin prisons). The kinds of things I'm interested in are:

• The social background of prisoners
• Their previous education
• The prisoners attitudes and uptake of education in prisons
• The kind of education programmes in prisons
• In particular the affect of education on the reform of prisoners

I am wondering if anyone out there could direct me to sources of information for the above items? Reports, books, ideas, etc are all welcome.


Thanks in advance.

Procrastastudy

You may want to look at due to massive over crowding, the Irish prison system cant hope to provide rehab services to the number that need / want it. Also look into St Pats and the various human rights scandals including slopping out. Might give you a unique spin for your assignment.

charlemont

I have some experience on the subject as I attended education classes myself in Limerick Prison over ten years ago, I completed my Leaving Cert after I left prison too.

TheBody

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

You may want to look at due to massive over crowding, the Irish prison system cant hope to provide rehab services to the number that need / want it. Also look into St Pats and the various human rights scandals including slopping out. Might give you a unique spin for your assignment.

Thanks for the response. Good ponint on the overcrowding. I imagine I'll probably have something about that in there. With regards slopping out; I am really only interested on the affect of sociological impact of education.

TheBody

charlemont wrote: »

I have some experience on the subject as I attended education classes myself in Limerick Prison over ten years ago, I completed my Leaving Cert after I left prison too.

Thanks for the response. By any chance would you know the names of any groups or agencies etc, that monitor the outcome from prisoners that took part in education while in prison?

charlemont

TheBody wrote: »

Thanks for the response. By any chance would you know the names of any groups or agencies etc, that monitor the outcome from prisoners that took part in education while in prison?

Once I left I'v never had any involvement with any groups or agencies, I only done Irish and History once a week in a small kitchen with several chairs, It was a "Shur it'll do" education system !!! Our teacher was good though and now I'v just remembered we used to get notes for studying, But very few people done these classes.
I had learned my lesson with regards to crime before I went inside so I can't say the education made me change but it did help in my decision to do the LC once I came out.

Education and confidence in educational abilities at a young age is what most of the inmates lacked. Add that to coming from homes with parents who had neither of the above and then by the time they end up in prison its far too late for most of them to be changed by the system.

TheBody

charlemont wrote: »

Once I left I'v never had any involvement with any groups or agencies, I only done Irish and History once a week in a small kitchen with several chairs, It was a "Shur it'll do" education system !!! Our teacher was good though and now I'v just remembered we used to get notes for studying, But very few people done these classes.
I had learned my lesson with regards to crime before I went inside so I can't say the education made me change but it did help in my decision to do the LC once I came out.

Education and confidence in educational abilities at a young age is what most of the inmates lacked. Add that to coming from homes with parents who had neither of the above and then by the time they end up in prison its far too late for most of them to be changed by the system.

Thanks once again for your response. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.

I am surprised by that there seems to be VERY few books or papers done on the topic. I am still at the very early stages of my research but I am finding it very hard to source scholarly studies on the topic.

Procrastastudy

There is very little interest in it... From a purely academic point of view the prison system is fascinating but there is no advantage to anyone in reforming it. I know it's going off point in regards to what you are looking for but data collection in the entire CJS and Prison system is practically non-existent.

I realise my point in regards to human rights violations are OT but do bear in mind how people are treated in prison will obviously effect their potential to pick up on these programs. The way juvenile offenders are treated in Ireland is simply shocking. As is the lack of a spent conviction system for people who have "made good" on rehabilitation back into society. Again I realise its probably OT but what's the point in getting a qualification if the minor offence you committed 15 years ago still prevents you from getting a job?

Fair play to you Charlemont btw.

EDIT: BTW You've probably already done this but look at Criminology and Penology as well. There was a Penology symposium down in Cork last year and some articles in the various law journals may be what you're looking for.

TheBody

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

There is very little interest in it... From a purely academic point of view the prison system is fascinating but there is no advantage to anyone in reforming it. I know it's going off point in regards to what you are looking for but data collection in the entire CJS and Prison system is practically non-existent.

I realise my point in regards to human rights violations are OT but do bear in mind how people are treated in prison will obviously effect their potential to pick up on these programs. The way juvenile offenders are treated in Ireland is simply shocking. As is the lack of a spent conviction system for people who have "made good" on rehabilitation back into society. Again I realise its probably OT but what's the point in getting a qualification if the minor offence you committed 15 years ago still prevents you from getting a job?

Fair play to you Charlemont btw.

EDIT: BTW You've probably already done this but look at Criminology and Penology as well. There was a Penology symposium down in Cork last year and some articles in the various law journals may be what you're looking for.

Thanks for the reply. I see your point on the link between treatment of prisoners and possible uptake of education.

I am literally at the start of my research road. Just been checking out library books and journals (or lack of) on the topic. Didn't know about the symposium in Cork. Thanks for that. Any law journals you can recommend me checking out?

P.S: Totally agree with you on Charlemont. Takes a lot to take about a sensitive matter like this in such a frank way.

charlemont

You should write a letter or e-mail to Educational Services of any of the prisons, You mentioned Dublin so I suggest St Patrick's, Mountjoy or Wheatfields and enquire about how many prisoners sat the Junior /Leaving cert on a given year. I'm sure they would only be too willing to help you.

Prisoners do other tasks which lead to them learning a lot such as Fabric Unit which would be using sewing machines to create kitchen uniforms and repair garments, Kitchens, Prisoners do all the work in the kitchens and for for somebody doing a long stretch they can be qualified as a chef after 5 years.

I do remember that German was one of the subjects I put down to learn but there was not enough willing to do it so it was cancelled.

Normally there was never much more than 5 to 10 people at either of the 2 classes I attended.

Procrastastudy

There is a real stigma attached to doing sociological research on prisoners given some of the ethics issues surrounding work done in the 19th and 20th centuries. I'm not an expert on that side (or any side really lol) just something my wife (who is much better educated than I) mentioned to me when I started Criminology.