From Here to the Streets

The corrections employee who inspired me to design this book knew what most of you reading this already know that the only hope that more than 90 percent of incarcerated inmates nationwide have for not returning to prison is steady employment.

There are numerous books on this subject already, and most of them say the same things. It's also fair to say that most are accurate. This course doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but instead gives a step-by-step guide for preparing and facilitating a prerelease employability class in a corrections environment. Prison inmates are, for the most part, challenged with a wide variety of social dysfunctions. Educational backgrounds vary as well. It is critical to make the prerelease employability class both user-friendly and student specific for the challenges presented by the prison itself. Ultimately, it's up to an individual whether or not he or she chooses to succeed or improve the quality of their life. The key is to make this goal in life attainable and realistic to the students, thus encouraging them to make that choice.

Remember that even the best plans in the world are nothing without good people to carry them out. If you're planning to teach or assist in a corrections prerelease employability course, you must understand and believe in its benefits. Not only believe, but also participate by sharing your own personal experiences and opinions to the extent that policy allows. Only by interacting with the class on a more personal level will you get the respect and trust of your students. By operating in this capacity, you become as important an asset to the course as the written material itself. The results of your efforts will be reflected in the future success stories from your students.