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Showing posts from October, 2020

PRISON TEACHERS ACTING AS SECURITY STAFF - WHY IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN (AGAIN)

One of the few positives in prison is the opportunity to receive an academic or vocational education that many prisoners never received on the streets. In addition to curbing recidivism, whether through preparation for employment or simply through learning responsibility of regular attendance, the prison classroom is usually considered sacrosanct, a place of learning, away from the hustle and bustle of the regular prison atmosphere - until that is, the teacher becomes a guard. While teachers in most prison classrooms will carry a radio, wear a staff identification card and have the authority to hand out disciplinary reports, they are usually considered by prisoner students above all else, educators. These people wear civilian clothing, and generally have a willingness to communicate with prisoners as would a teacher on the streets - within certain boundries of course - but once they are seen acting as a guard, that facade is gone. At the ISCC, teachers and vocational class instructors