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Readings in prison education
counseling and psychotherapy in the three areas of concern.. Their brief review of elforts in this domain coincide with their earlier findings, which are simply that counseling and psychotherapy seem to have no significant impact on reducing by failure in education, employment, or the criminal justice
the problems system.
brought
about
In the final chapter, behavior therapy is described as the promise of the future. One is given the impression that if somehow all counseling and psychotherapy programs were replaced by neat little reinforcement and punishment schedules, one would have a viable panacea to educational, employment, and criminal-rehabilitation problems. Humanists, moralists, and politicians are cited as the culprits who are standing in the way of Walden Il. This coming
is, perhaps, the most notable failure of the book. If there is one thing that we are to realize in education, training, and treatment, it is that there are no panaceas,
including behavior therapy. Most punishment procedure, for example, ominous than the original behavior.
thoughtful as having
behaviorists I encounter, view the possible side eflects which can tx: more
There is another troubling tone that is hard to concretely describe. ‘l‘here is a lot 01 rhetoric about taking a hard, pragmatic stance; i.e., people who don’t work shouldn’t tK paid. But the use of the word pragmatic is not in the Deweyan sense, but rather reads’like one of former Attorney General John Mitchell’s speeches. XI)- lriend and colleague, Richard Poole), describes the subjectsof this book as the losers 01 our society; and the people I see in our \.ietnam-era veteran Graduation Equi\,alenc) Diploma Program, the M’ork Incentive Program, and in prisons and )outh institutions around the country, b,- and large have been subjected to quite a bit of aversive therap) and general social punitivity. It seems to me that if WY ale serious about solving thcsc social problems, \ve at least need to admit to the complexity of the task, which implies \vorking with people differentially rather than drawing upon a single strateg)’ the roots 01 Lvhich al-~ tied to a rather pessimisstic or neutral \iew of man given scientilic respectabilit) b) B.E‘. Skinner. ~l‘homas R. Hughes Delinquency Stud) and Youth Development Center Southern Illinois LJniversit) Edwardsville, Illinois
Readings Charles Illinois
In Prison
Education
edited
by Albert
C. Thomas, Publisher (301-327 East 62715), 1973, 415 pp., hardcover-$15.95.
R. Roberts. Lawrence
Avenue,
Springfield,
Readlugs 1t7 Prison Education \vas compiled and edited b) Albert R. Roberts, Chairman 01 the Department of Criminal Justice at Coppin State College, Baltimore, hlar) land. l‘hc book contains 398 pages of text with Ii pages of indexes. Professor Roberts performed an outstanding role in gathering and compiling this diversified collection of articles. The Lvorks selected l\~re either, articles prc\,iousl!
published in professional journals, speeches delivered at conle~~ntes. OI ~O>IIIOII paI)t’t Y written especially for this book. The contributors 01 the articles posse55 extensi\ t’~sp~~ IC’IICt’ in correctional administration research. Missing however, positions”
in correctional
or closely related tields such a> 4ociolog!. are contributions from pel-.sons cu~wntl!
facilities
such as teachers,
learning
c 11m111olog~. WI\ mg
center- mtn+ge~s.
III
.III(I “11t1t.
t ou11~~lo1
b.
or directors of education. Another interesting observation is that feM current articles l\.erc ~nclutltd III [lit, collection (with the exception of the papers prepared especially for this publication I. Because of the varied experiences and obvious educational backgrounds 01 tilt, contributors, this book offers a variety of literary styles and readabilit) le~1.s I\.hic h shoulti appease a heterogenous readership. Each of the seven sections of this book is introduced by Prolessor Robel,ts a11cI ~I\C’Z >o111t perspective of the articles contained therein. The seven sections ale labvied ah I~~IIou \: t I I Development of Prison Education; (2) Objecti\,es ot Prison Education; (3) Educatio~l xltl Training for Correctional Educators; (4) Academic and \‘ocational Educatloll; (5) .Sot ial Education; (6) Education Through Libraries; and (i) Research. This collection t OIILIII~\ thirty-one chapters, concluding with an epilogue by George Beto 01 the ‘I‘esaa Depa~ tmt~l11 The I-eading5 TIC’ ~c.11 of Corrections, regarding a philosophy of correctional education. organized and presented in a logical sequence. The three chapters in Section One give the general history and progress of C~U~;IIIOII programs in corrections. They trace the changing role 01 prisons from that 01 \ tagem t’ anti punishment played
toward
treatment
by the academic
and resocialization
01 offenders.
sho\ving
the incleasiIlg
lolt
community.
Section Two focuses on the objectives of prison education. ~I‘hese chapters ctne~ tilt. development of the systems approach to correctional education, the contribution ;)I education to treatment, and the components of correctional education proglama. Inclt~tl~d in these components are: curriculum model, teachers’ loles, teachers’ ~ompt~tenc~er. and preparation programs for correctional educators. The articles that make up Section Four and Five deal lvith karioub pt~t~gla~ns 01 academic, vocational, and social education. From these sec.tionb, students and p~ac tiriont~l~ can gather some data to assist in program designs and t.ur1iculum de\elopme11~, althoug~l the material presented focuses than on a “how to” approach.
more
on establishing
l~hiloso1~hical-t~~et~~~~t~~~1ittx~t rl,ts
The roles of libraries in correctional education is delineated in Section bix. ~IOII~ thc.\t. two chapters, one can trace the historical concept 01 prison libraries and Ircognilc ttit significance of literature to the resocialization of otfendel-s. Section Seven, Research, contains three articles regarding e\~aluation 01 the g~~l~t-:tl effectiveness of correctional education, and speciticall), the ei,aluation 01 adult txlblt education programs. These articles give some guidelines tor developing research clc~~gn~ III order to evaluate correctional education programs. Readings zn Prison Educatzon represents an excellent collection ot a1 titles IeIc\alll to correctional education, but the emphasis appears to be n101c on adminlstlatioll 01 correctional education programs than on “how to do it” t!ail), fq,eiation~ 101 tiiosc. III personal c urrently
contact with inmate students. Missing xc ;II tic ftbs lrom COIIPC r~onal Dot ;ILOI\ involved in the classroom func-tions hut h a:, teat her>, 1ca1 ning t ate1 rna~lag~~ \.
education counselors. -1‘his c ritit leels that thy 011~ si.gnilit~iit sliortconiin~g 01 this book lies in the omission ol data refative to media, m;1w11;11s, md tt’t hllitluc\ th,lt c LI\~IOOI~I teachers and learning center managed-s relay Ilaw c ontrlbutcd. .\l.so. in llghr 01 111~. and
BOOK
REVIEWS
367
importance given to community and aftercare programs throughout the collection of articles, the title of the works would have been more appropriate had the terms “Correctional Education” been used rather than “Prison Education.” Because the development of philosophical-theoretical concepts naturally preceeds practical applications, Professor Roberts might well consider collecting articles prepared by teachers, learning center managers, and even offenders for his next compilation of readings relative to correctional education. Robert A. Gunnel1 Education Administrative Officer Northeast Region, Bureau of Prisons United States Department of Justice
the problems system.
brought
about
In the final chapter, behavior therapy is described as the promise of the future. One is given the impression that if somehow all counseling and psychotherapy programs were replaced by neat little reinforcement and punishment schedules, one would have a viable panacea to educational, employment, and criminal-rehabilitation problems. Humanists, moralists, and politicians are cited as the culprits who are standing in the way of Walden Il. This coming
is, perhaps, the most notable failure of the book. If there is one thing that we are to realize in education, training, and treatment, it is that there are no panaceas,
including behavior therapy. Most punishment procedure, for example, ominous than the original behavior.
thoughtful as having
behaviorists I encounter, view the possible side eflects which can tx: more
There is another troubling tone that is hard to concretely describe. ‘l‘here is a lot 01 rhetoric about taking a hard, pragmatic stance; i.e., people who don’t work shouldn’t tK paid. But the use of the word pragmatic is not in the Deweyan sense, but rather reads’like one of former Attorney General John Mitchell’s speeches. XI)- lriend and colleague, Richard Poole), describes the subjectsof this book as the losers 01 our society; and the people I see in our \.ietnam-era veteran Graduation Equi\,alenc) Diploma Program, the M’ork Incentive Program, and in prisons and )outh institutions around the country, b,- and large have been subjected to quite a bit of aversive therap) and general social punitivity. It seems to me that if WY ale serious about solving thcsc social problems, \ve at least need to admit to the complexity of the task, which implies \vorking with people differentially rather than drawing upon a single strateg)’ the roots 01 Lvhich al-~ tied to a rather pessimisstic or neutral \iew of man given scientilic respectabilit) b) B.E‘. Skinner. ~l‘homas R. Hughes Delinquency Stud) and Youth Development Center Southern Illinois LJniversit) Edwardsville, Illinois
Readings Charles Illinois
In Prison
Education
edited
by Albert
C. Thomas, Publisher (301-327 East 62715), 1973, 415 pp., hardcover-$15.95.
R. Roberts. Lawrence
Avenue,
Springfield,
Readlugs 1t7 Prison Education \vas compiled and edited b) Albert R. Roberts, Chairman 01 the Department of Criminal Justice at Coppin State College, Baltimore, hlar) land. l‘hc book contains 398 pages of text with Ii pages of indexes. Professor Roberts performed an outstanding role in gathering and compiling this diversified collection of articles. The Lvorks selected l\~re either, articles prc\,iousl!
published in professional journals, speeches delivered at conle~~ntes. OI ~O>IIIOII paI)t’t Y written especially for this book. The contributors 01 the articles posse55 extensi\ t’~sp~~ IC’IICt’ in correctional administration research. Missing however, positions”
in correctional
or closely related tields such a> 4ociolog!. are contributions from pel-.sons cu~wntl!
facilities
such as teachers,
learning
c 11m111olog~. WI\ mg
center- mtn+ge~s.
III
.III(I “11t1t.
t ou11~~lo1
b.
or directors of education. Another interesting observation is that feM current articles l\.erc ~nclutltd III [lit, collection (with the exception of the papers prepared especially for this publication I. Because of the varied experiences and obvious educational backgrounds 01 tilt, contributors, this book offers a variety of literary styles and readabilit) le~1.s I\.hic h shoulti appease a heterogenous readership. Each of the seven sections of this book is introduced by Prolessor Robel,ts a11cI ~I\C’Z >o111t perspective of the articles contained therein. The seven sections ale labvied ah I~~IIou \: t I I Development of Prison Education; (2) Objecti\,es ot Prison Education; (3) Educatio~l xltl Training for Correctional Educators; (4) Academic and \‘ocational Educatloll; (5) .Sot ial Education; (6) Education Through Libraries; and (i) Research. This collection t OIILIII~\ thirty-one chapters, concluding with an epilogue by George Beto 01 the ‘I‘esaa Depa~ tmt~l11 The I-eading5 TIC’ ~c.11 of Corrections, regarding a philosophy of correctional education. organized and presented in a logical sequence. The three chapters in Section One give the general history and progress of C~U~;IIIOII programs in corrections. They trace the changing role 01 prisons from that 01 \ tagem t’ anti punishment played
toward
treatment
by the academic
and resocialization
01 offenders.
sho\ving
the incleasiIlg
lolt
community.
Section Two focuses on the objectives of prison education. ~I‘hese chapters ctne~ tilt. development of the systems approach to correctional education, the contribution ;)I education to treatment, and the components of correctional education proglama. Inclt~tl~d in these components are: curriculum model, teachers’ loles, teachers’ ~ompt~tenc~er. and preparation programs for correctional educators. The articles that make up Section Four and Five deal lvith karioub pt~t~gla~ns 01 academic, vocational, and social education. From these sec.tionb, students and p~ac tiriont~l~ can gather some data to assist in program designs and t.ur1iculum de\elopme11~, althoug~l the material presented focuses than on a “how to” approach.
more
on establishing
l~hiloso1~hical-t~~et~~~~t~~~1ittx~t rl,ts
The roles of libraries in correctional education is delineated in Section bix. ~IOII~ thc.\t. two chapters, one can trace the historical concept 01 prison libraries and Ircognilc ttit significance of literature to the resocialization of otfendel-s. Section Seven, Research, contains three articles regarding e\~aluation 01 the g~~l~t-:tl effectiveness of correctional education, and speciticall), the ei,aluation 01 adult txlblt education programs. These articles give some guidelines tor developing research clc~~gn~ III order to evaluate correctional education programs. Readings zn Prison Educatzon represents an excellent collection ot a1 titles IeIc\alll to correctional education, but the emphasis appears to be n101c on adminlstlatioll 01 correctional education programs than on “how to do it” t!ail), fq,eiation~ 101 tiiosc. III personal c urrently
contact with inmate students. Missing xc ;II tic ftbs lrom COIIPC r~onal Dot ;ILOI\ involved in the classroom func-tions hut h a:, teat her>, 1ca1 ning t ate1 rna~lag~~ \.
education counselors. -1‘his c ritit leels that thy 011~ si.gnilit~iit sliortconiin~g 01 this book lies in the omission ol data refative to media, m;1w11;11s, md tt’t hllitluc\ th,lt c LI\~IOOI~I teachers and learning center managed-s relay Ilaw c ontrlbutcd. .\l.so. in llghr 01 111~. and
BOOK
REVIEWS
367
importance given to community and aftercare programs throughout the collection of articles, the title of the works would have been more appropriate had the terms “Correctional Education” been used rather than “Prison Education.” Because the development of philosophical-theoretical concepts naturally preceeds practical applications, Professor Roberts might well consider collecting articles prepared by teachers, learning center managers, and even offenders for his next compilation of readings relative to correctional education. Robert A. Gunnel1 Education Administrative Officer Northeast Region, Bureau of Prisons United States Department of Justice