Two of America's most serious problems--crime and illiteracy--converge in our prisons. The majority of prisoners have serious educational deficits. Although prison educational programs exist, they are often ineffective because of poor program development, lack of administrative support, or small numbers of prisoners served. One innovation in…

The Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention funded a model designed to improve the literacy level of youth in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. The model specified training language arts teachers and relevant staff and volunteers in direct instruction methods for rapid improvement of students' comprehension, particularly for…

Community-based, or inmate-run, literacy programs are a significant alternative to literacy programs run by those outside the correctional institution. Such programs provide meaningful self-involvement and opportunity for the development of problem-solving skills for the inmates. Beginning in the spring of 1984, the Institute for the Study of…

This paper focuses on planning, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of a competency-based curriculum that could be a model or guide for state correctional systems. Chapter 1 addresses the need for strong educational leadership to effect change in the curriculum of a prison system. Chapter 2 contains background and problem…

This report is based on a review of literature, statistical data, and a range of community-based programs for juvenile offenders, studied during the past 5 years by the National Governors' Association. The report provides an overview of innovative approaches to program design and coordination of services for delinquent youth. It describes several…

This resource manual is intended to assist correctional agencies in developing or upgrading educational and support services for adult inmates with retardation or learning disabilities. Following an introductory section, section 2 summarizes definitions and symptoms of mental retardation and learning disabilities, identifies their incidence among…

This guide, which was adapted from a 1987 evaluation guide for bilingual vocational training, is intended for directors, staff, and evaluators of local adult and vocational education programs. It presents an overall framework that program staff and evaluators can use to help establish the scope of their evaluations and meet their local evaluation…

This handbook records the creation, development and growth, and stumbling blocks and successes of the Prison Literacy Project (PLP). It is intended to serve as a model for other community groups that are developing their own literacy projects. The handbook provides a history and philosophy of PLP, states PLP's vision and purpose, discusses need,…

This report, prepared for an ongoing assessment on adult literacy and new technologies, profiles 30 major federally funded adult literacy and basic skills programs. The information it contains is based on an analysis of laws and regulations for programs that: (1) have adult literacy or basic skills education as their sole purpose or as one of a…

This document contains 19 papers presented at an international forum on education in penal systems. The following papers are included: "Burning" (Craig W.J. Minogue); "The Acquisition of Cognitive Skills as a Means of Recidivism Reduction: A Former Prisoner's Perspective" (Trevor Darryl Doherty); "CEA (Correctional…

The 21st annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is divided into four sections organized around a model that views educational results as products of three sets of factors: the context and environment in which the education is provided, student characteristics, and school programs…