Agency: University of South Florida

[COR 1001]

Contact: Wayne B. James (813) 974-3455

Goal: The goal of RITE (Responsible Inmate-Taught Education) is to make available the RITE Program through the creation and publication of curriculum materials which will include a comprehensive manual and videotapes of actual class presentations.

The objective of the program is to plan, develop, and standardize a 12-week intense training program for college-degree inmates who want to serve as teaching assistants in the prison system.

Background: The Bureau of Adult and Community Education during the 1993-94 fiscal year funded Responsible Inmate-Taught Education (RITE). During that time, three RITE programs were conducted. During the next year, two additional RITE programs were conducted. Together these programs trained over 65 college-educated inmates as teaching assistants.

Correctional education needs a way to take advantage of college-degree inmates to extend the capabilities of its teachers. The Curriculum Training Manual with its accompanying videotapes will make use of a quality instructional techniques approach for developing paraprofessional resources.

Agency: Dade County

[COR 1002]

JAM (Juvenile Advocacy and Mentoring) targets students participating in the Juvenile Alternative Sanctions System (JASS), a pre-trial diversion program for first-time offenders. The program has 3 basic goals: 1) to ensure that participating youth successfully complete their current school year; 2) to provide an opportunity for these youth to build positive self-esteem through interaction with a caring adult volunteer willing to listen; 3) to assist the youth in learning to accept responsibility for his actions through encouragement and support of the student in his efforts to adhere to his JASS participant contract.

Volunteers are recruited from interested organizations in the community such as the Dade County Bar Association, university students, church organizations, Rotary, local Chambers of Commerce, etc. After training and a HRS background screening, mentors are placed with a student in a school of their choice. They work with the school liaison to schedule a weekly meeting for one hour with the student.

The program works with no specific funding but with the cooperation of the school system, JASS, and private agencies that provide support services. JASS recruits, trains, and coordinates placement of mentors and students, as well as provides continuous support to volunteers.

Dade County Public School System provides the liaisons necessary for the mentor to meet with the student at school. Private agencies attend the monthly training and assist the mentors with problems they may have in dealing with these at-risk students. Evaluations are mailed by JASS to mentors, parents, and students at the end of the school year in order to receive a subjective assessment of the success of the program in addressing academic and behavioral improvement.

Agency: Duval County 1992-93

[COR 1003]

What: Our community paint program will provide jobs for 16 low-income teenagers and 2 adults. In the process of providing jobs, the program will assist the low-income families and the handicapped and senior citizens by painting their homes a base color and trim color free. The project will cause a downward curve in juvenile crime, during the summer, and will increase the aesthetic beauty of each home.

Who: The program's jobs are available for 16 low-income community teenagers, and 2 adults. The homeowners must live within Long Branch community boundaries, and live in the home that the application is for. All Long Branch homeowners that are handicapped, senior citizens on minimum security, and low-income can apply. Only single story homes will be accepted.

How to Qualify: Each homeowner must provide proof of ownership by presenting a deed, or homestead receipt. Proof of income must be a copy of annual tax return, pay receipts, and other information that will establish your income bracket. The total family income must be presented. Eligibility will be determined by the school's free lunch scale.

Home Painting Process: Teenagers will be divided into teams of eight with equal amounts of male and female workers on each team. One adult will supervise each team. Each team will work 8 hours a day 2 days per week, painting a house each day. The recipients will receive the service at no cost, and will have a choice of selecting 2 colors for their homes. Each home selected for painting will be allowed 10 gallons of paint.

Summary Synopsis: Long Branch Community is a target neighborhood with a high unemployment, major crime, and low educational statistical rating. The success of the program is evident in that it provided jobs, beautified homes; which created an intrinsic relationship in the community, and as always, whenever a low-income family redirects dollars from external maintenance to internal necessities, it's a plus for the community and city tax payers.

Agency: Leon County

[COR 1004]

This is a family literacy project developed to serve incarcerated parents of school-aged children.

Objectives of the program were:

(1) to establish an on-going identification and referral system for children whose parents are incarcerated at the county jail and

(2) to increase/enhance the parenting skills of inmates at the jail.

The Parent-Child Connection provides a system of support for children enrolled in Leon County Schools whose parents are incarcerated at the Leon County Detention Center. The program fosters communication between parent and the school system, parent and temporary caregiver, and parent and child. On the school level, counselors provide appropriate guidance support for the child. At the jail, parents are offered on-going parenting education classes that reinforce positive parenting skills. The program seeks to ensure that school officials know when a student is experiencing family stress of this kind so that guidance support may be offered. It also seeks to involve the parent in the academic life of the child and in the school community.

The parenting class curriculum consists of fourteen detailed lessons, each containing objectives, lesson plans, background material, activity sheets, and a resource list. Topics included in the curriculum are as follows: Accepting Uniqueness, Self-Esteem Awareness, Parenting for Positive Self-Esteem, Patterns of Communication, Reflective Listening, Conflict Resolution, The Developing Child, The Teen Years, More Teen Issues, Discipline, Strengthening Families, Family Learning Activities, Promoting Success in School, and Coping With Stress. These fourteen lessons contain a wealth of material and could cover more than fourteen class sessions.

Agency: Pasco County 1994-95 (Exemplary)

[COR 1005]

The Probationer's Educational Growth Program was developed under a Section 353 grant from the State of Florida Department of Education. Additional funding was provided by the Department of Corrections, FirstStep, and through community partnerships. The purpose of PEG is to locate, test and refer undereducated, youthful (16-30 year olds) first time-FELONY offenders into EXISTING adult education programs in an attempt to break the undereducation-underemployment-poverty-crime cycle. The initial goal of working with 100 students during the year of development was surpassed in the first few months of the program. A total of 249 students were referred during the first year. In addition, over 125 volunteer tutors were trained in the special sensitivities of working with probationer-students. After 18 months, more than 500 students had been referred, with over 100 receiving GED diplomas, and the number continues to grow monthly.

During the past year, program personnel have presented workshops on successful replication of the PEG Program in strategic locations throughout Florida. A project dissemination manual and a volunteer tutor training manual have been printed by DOE and are available through the ACE Network or through the PEG office. Project personnel are available to visit with DOC, DOE, judicial and probation representatives for the purpose of establishing and providing technical assistance for new programs.

The overwhelming success of PEG is due to the tremendous amount of interagency cooperation that was established early in the development process. Strong linkages were built between the Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, FirstStep, county and circuit judges, HRS, and Private Industry Council. In addition, community partnerships with local service organizations such as Rotary and Serteens have provided funding for textbooks and GED testing fees for students. Intergenerational involvement lends additional support. Tutors and office volunteers are trained retirees who CHOOSE to be a part of PEG. They are recruited through Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) and trained by Volunteers in Service to American (VISTA) volunteers.

Agency: Broward County 1994-95

[COR 1006]

Project ACES is designed to improve and expand life skills training and academic/ vocational opportunities for incarcerated individuals whose educational needs have not been adequately met. Through a needs assessment conducted at Broward County jails, several areas of deficiencies were identified. Project ACES seeks to address these needs. The program objectives include enhancing the existing ABE/GED educational program with life skills and career skills training in order to increase employment options of ex-offenders and break the cycle of illiteracy, crime, and incarceration.

Four hundred (400) students, who are incarcerated adults at the Broward County Division of Community Corrections (DOCC), are served in a year. Classroom space is provided by DOCC. Instruction takes place in jail cells. There are 20-25 students per teacher and aid in a class. Fifteen (15) classes are in session five terms a year. Classes are scheduled daily, Monday through Friday, for 5 hours a day for ABE/GED programs; career skills classes meet twice a week in the evenings for 3 hours each. Participants receive life skills training (parenting, pre-employment, conflict management, nutrition/health), entry/exit orientation, counseling, and post-release support. Literate inmates are given the opportunity to train in Laubach methods (and receive training certificates) to work one-on-one with non-literate inmates. Enhancement to the life skills program includes workshops conducted by guest speakers. The WASATCH computer program (including life skills, ABE, and GED materials) are used on sixteen (16) laptop computers (donated by the Vocational, Adult, and Community Education Department of the Broward County School System) by students. Instruction materials include standard ABE/GED educational textbooks and materials, life skills and GED videos, and a teacher-created career skills curriculum (specifically designed for corrections education). Two full-time counselors provide pre-and post-release counseling. The post-release support group sessions take place (once a week) at a community school (donated site).

Project ACES is funded in the amount of $227,223 per year (renewable for 3 years) through a federal grant in cooperation with the School Board of Broward County. The Gene A. Whiddon Adult Center provides equipment, ABE/GED materials, teachers, and curricula. Sixteen laptop computers are provided by the Broward County School System. Additional books and materials, testing material, instructional videos, career assessment materials, and the salaries of two counselors, one clerical person, and the project coordinator are provided by a federal grant. The project is a cooperative interagency program which requires a coordinator to serve as financial administrator and liaison between jail administrators, the business community, and cooperating agencies such as the Broward County Sheriff's Office, BETA, and Vocational Rehabilitation. An advisory board consisting of the project coordinator, local business leaders, jail administrators, and other key concerned citizens meets monthly to enhance existing community support, and identify local business owners who agree to be potential employers for ex-offenders. Jail teachers receive ten hours of inservice in appropriate corrections methodologies, and (4) two-hour life skills workshops. Teachers, counselors, and the program coordinator maintain documentation. Over the 1993-94 school year, we have had a 90% GED passing rate. Additionally, 61 inmates have successfully completed Laubach training (conducted free of charge by Laubach), and serve as peer tutors to non-literate inmates. 400 students successfully completed the career skills portion of the program. The use of 30-, 60-, and 90-day postage-paid postcards, and post-release support group sessions, provide some feedback to help evaluate the program. The project will also be reviewed by a third party evaluator (per grant requirements) to determine its effectiveness.

Agency: Seminole Community College

[COR 1007]

Project Turn Around is a cooperative venture between Seminole Community College and the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, a temporary, short term facility. It is targeted at the inmates housed in the GED Pod, a cell designated exclusively for those studying for the GED Tests. The goal is to increase the number of graduates. The objectives are to enhance preparation by using a greater variety of materials and to reduce the weeks required for preparation by using after class hours as well as class time. Inmates can be better prepared, move rapidly through the program and take the tests before being released, transferred, or paroled.

Monies provided through the 353 grant purchased the 42 KET/GED videotapes, 4 tape recorders, 7 headsets and 6 audiocassette programs. Another grant provided funds to adapt these materials to the established "book oriented" program. The jail purchased a TV/VCR and 8 monitors, and they did some remodeling to accommodate the equipment. During class time, the instructor assisted students on an individualized basis with book, video, or audio study materials. When they were not in class, it was intended that they continue their studies by watching the tapes over the jail's closed circuit television.

However, rapid changes in the jail administration prevented the after class hour segment of the project from being implemented. That portion correlating the videotapes to the GED workbooks was successful. The materials were received enthusiastically by the students and preparation was enhanced. It was felt that when this is combined with the missing component, weeks required for preparation time can be reduced considerably, and the number of graduates will increase.

Agency: Correctional Education School Authority: Department of Corrections 1995-96

[COR 1008]

Contact: Clifford J. Scott (904) 488-2288

Goal: The primary goal of Scared Write is to reduce illiteracy and under-education among incarcerated adults. A secondary goal is to improve skills and competencies related to prose, document, and quantitative literacy skills.

Background: Of Florida inmates who were given basic literacy tests upon admission, 72.3% scored below the ninth grade level (1993-1994). According to Richard Tewksbury (University of New Orleans), there is a direct link between poor academic achievement and crime. For this reason, this project is directed to incarcerated adults in the Florida Department of Corrections. It is specifically directed to incarcerated adults in the ABE, Mandatory Literacy Program, GED, and vocational education programs offered by CESA. A book of inmate writings will be published which will greatly increase the numbers of the target population who will benefit both educationally and personally.

Agency: Pasco County

[COR 1009]

Contact: Anne H. W. Johnson (813) 929-2206

Goal: The goal of this project is to design literacy and parenting training workshops which will focus on identified needs of inmates incarcerated at the Pasco Detention Center and the New Port Richey County Jail. Workshops will include literacy and parenting skills in addition to intervention strategies.

Background: A recent study "1994 Survey of Pasco County Detention Center Inmate Population" revealed the following: 49% of the inmates have no high school education, 35% were unemployed at time of arrest; 87% admitted to a moderate to severe drug use problem; 75% admitted to a moderate to severe alcohol problem, and 64% admitted to being under the influence of alcohol or drugs at time of arrest.

A large percentage of inmates are parents who have children being cared for by spouses/significant others, grandparents or other family members. The workshops, which are geared to problems of incarcerated parents, are an effective way to solve problems of the inmate's family, and especially the problems of the inmate's children.