IV.

WITHIN THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY: Roles and Responsibilities

Incorporating Herman’s model into an educational program operating within a county or municipal correctional facility requires a thorough knowledge of its operation: the realities, the politics, the opportunities, and the barriers. Such knowledge can be gleaned by examining the roles and responsibilities of a correctional facility’s population. The nature of the interaction between inmates, corrections officers, administrators, and education providers interrelates with the flow of communication within the correctional facility. Communication, of course, is key not only to providing instruction, but also to maintaining the safety of all personnel.

It is not this document’s intent to comprehensively list all possible roles and responsibilities of a correctional facility’s population. Rather, this section serves as a reminder that incarcerated youth are, in at least one aspect, no different from educators, corrections officers, administrators, etc. That is, everyone is influenced by the different roles they play, and with every role comes a myriad of responsibilities.

For incarcerated youth, their role as an inmate carries with it a main responsibility of acquiring life skills necessary for leading a socially productive life that does not involve further delinquent or criminal activity. In acquiring these skills, incarcerated youth become learners. Preparing for a socially productive life also means adopting the role of worker. Furthermore, in their roles as either parent, child, or sibling, most incarcerated youth also have family responsibilities.

Juggling the responsibilities of multiple roles often results in incarcerated youth having to choose between competing priorities. Unfortunately, according to the frustration expressed by many educators, education is too frequently a low priority. This is especially true for some incarcerated youth who may not have been brought to trial, so participation in jail programming is voluntary. Their preference for recreational activities or for visiting with family and friends over educational programming is not difficult to understand. In addition to competing priorities, there are other reasons why incarcerated youth may not be enthusiastic about educational programs. Their previous experience in school or with learning may have been negative. They may not feel safe in the classroom. Families and friends of incarcerated youth might not value education, and so the importance of it to incarcerated youth is minimized.