Christopher Zoukis's Blog - Posts Tagged "prison"
Prison Censorship in America: The Ashley Jean Arnold Case
When Americans think of prison censorship, images of prison guards throwing away letters come to mind. So too do images of books and publications like Prison legal News being rejected for being a “threat to the good order, orderly operation, and security of the institution,” which covers about any number of theoretical penological objectives.
And for serious prison writers, such as myself, images of retaliatory incident reports, delayed or destroyed mail, ever-constant shakedowns, complete monitoring, and prison transfers come to mind. All of these images are true at times. Prison censorship in America is alive and well.
My Personal Experience with Prison Censorship
As someone who regularly writes for online and print publications from the confines of my prison cell, I am no stranger to censorship or retaliation for my writings. Usually there is a trend. When I write about vanilla stories, nothing much occurs. When I write about Federal Bureau of Prisons officials — even worse, when I write about prison officials here at Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg — I can expect some harassment. This usually takes the form of the above-mentioned censorship.
But when I write books, I inevitably receive a few incident reports for writings surrounding the promotion of books, not to mention manuscripts becoming “lost” in the mail. Needless to say, my publishers now send all manuscripts via certified mail so we can track them.
The long of the short of my experiences with prison censorship is that I’ve had my fair share. I’ve collected some 7 incident reports, 5 months in the hole, several years of lost privileges like telephone and email (of which I’m still on), and the seizure of 10 copies of my own books, all as a result of retaliation for my writing efforts. The pattern is clear.
After I receive a few meritless incident reports, my attorneys — Alan Ellis, Todd Bussert, Jeff Fogel and Steven Rosenfield — come in and fight the FBOP until they leave me alone. Of the last 7 incident reports, 3 have been expunged upon appeal, and of the other 4, which we are currently appealing, there have so far been 4 initial hearings, 1 partial expungement, and 4 ordered remands for rehearings. It’s a dance, one that is designed on one side to dissuade me from writing and on the other side to enable me to write.
To this point in my career as an incarcerated writer, I have only been afraid a few times. I’m rather stubborn, after all. The first was when they locked me in solitary in 2012. The second was when my unit team artificially inflated my custody and classification points and attempted to transfer me to a maximum security federal prison from my current medium (the attorneys stopped it). And the final time is now, as I share the story of Ashley Jean Arnold.
Ashley Jean Arnold
For the past few years, I have worked hard to help a transgender inmate named Ashley Jean Arnold. Along with another prison litigator (whom I won’t name here due to the threat of retaliation), we have pushed the FBOP and, in particular, FCI Petersburg to provide Ashley, and her transgender sisters here, meaningful treatment for their gender dysphoria.
The process has not been an easy one. It has included filing grievances, a state lawsuit, and a federal lawsuit (Arnold v. Wilson, EDVA 1:13cv900). Over the years we had a few successes, but almost all tempered by either severe delays in care or failures.
During this process, Ashley was subjected to harassment and retaliation not by inmates, which would be expected, but by prison officials. They lodged 4 incident reports against her (3 of which were obviously retaliatory and 1 of those was administratively thrown out), locked her in the hole for a month, took several privileges for months on end, fired her from her job, and filed false treatment notes in her Psychology Department file. These were the tangibles.
The intangibles include gender-based harassment from virtually all levels of the administration. She reported harassment on the part of the FCI Petersburg Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Compliance Officer, a unit manager, a case manager coordinator, drug treatment specialist, and a treatment specialist.
These are in addition to the “regular” harassment by line cops. It was ugly, and when we filed administrative remedies concerning this abuse, they were largely ignored by prison officials.
Ashley’s Suicide; My Call to Action
While I worked hard on Ashley’s case, it wasn’t until Tuesday, February 24, 2015, that I decided to pull out all the stops. This was the day that she hung herself in her prison cell, the day that the calculus changed. From that point on, and as I told a senior prison official shortly after her death, I was going to hold each and every one of Ashley’s abusers accountable for their actions. They killed my friend, what more could they possibly do to me? Well, as it turns out, a lot, at least mentally.
As the war machine heated up, I, along with several others, started to pump out articles, letters to our representatives, attorneys, fellow activists and friends, and even a Department of Justice complaint.
Prison administrators at FCI Petersburg were not amused. They quickly administratively cut off email for Sangye Rinchen, Ashley’s best friend and fellow transgender prisoner. They followed this with an incident report and within 24 hours, a quick disciplinary hearing which found Ms. Rinchen guilty and sanctioned her to 90 days loss of email. The meaning was clear: write about Ashley and we’re coming for you.
The issue is that Ashley’s supporters, including me, are alleging hefty misconduct on the part of FCI Petersburg prison officials, some of which might constitute criminal activity. Needless to say, prison officials aren’t pleased with this narrative getting out.
It would be more convenient to simply silence those who are trying to expose the manifest injustice in Ashley’s plight. This is exactly what they are trying to do. I have personally been told by a lieutenant that we are not permitted to tell anyone outside of the prison about Ashley Arnold’s suicide. Another prison official told a friend that the word from on high was that anyone who speaks with the media will be issued an incident report. The battle lines have been drawn.
Waiting for the Gestapo to Arrive
Those of us who knew Ashley best refuse to back down and capitulate to these illegal and unconstitutional tactics and demands. To do so would be to allow Ashley’s abusers to win. That would soil her legacy. That we are not willing to do.
For me, I’m going to keep on writing and advocating until it is literally impossible for me to continue. These days that means when my hand gives out from writing, but the day is coming when they will snap my pen, shred my pages, and throw me in some dark hole to serve my final 3 years in custody. That is a cost that I’m willing to pay.
Last night at around 11 pm three prison guards came to my cell. They unlocked my door and escorted me into the unit team offices area. As we walked I wondered when the cuffs would go on, and if this was the fabled beating for those who dare to speak out. The whole time I was waiting to be pulled into a tile cell and stomped for my offenses. It never happened. After leaving the Lieutenant’s Office, the story was they grabbed the wrong guy. But then again, perhaps it was really a dry run, a sign of things to come.
(Published by blackandpink.org; used by permission)
_____
Note: Christopher Zoukis can be reached for comment, interview, or supporting documentation at: Christopher Zoukis (#22132-058), FCI Petersburg, P.O. Box 1000, Petersburg, VA 23804
And for serious prison writers, such as myself, images of retaliatory incident reports, delayed or destroyed mail, ever-constant shakedowns, complete monitoring, and prison transfers come to mind. All of these images are true at times. Prison censorship in America is alive and well.
My Personal Experience with Prison Censorship
As someone who regularly writes for online and print publications from the confines of my prison cell, I am no stranger to censorship or retaliation for my writings. Usually there is a trend. When I write about vanilla stories, nothing much occurs. When I write about Federal Bureau of Prisons officials — even worse, when I write about prison officials here at Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg — I can expect some harassment. This usually takes the form of the above-mentioned censorship.
But when I write books, I inevitably receive a few incident reports for writings surrounding the promotion of books, not to mention manuscripts becoming “lost” in the mail. Needless to say, my publishers now send all manuscripts via certified mail so we can track them.
The long of the short of my experiences with prison censorship is that I’ve had my fair share. I’ve collected some 7 incident reports, 5 months in the hole, several years of lost privileges like telephone and email (of which I’m still on), and the seizure of 10 copies of my own books, all as a result of retaliation for my writing efforts. The pattern is clear.
After I receive a few meritless incident reports, my attorneys — Alan Ellis, Todd Bussert, Jeff Fogel and Steven Rosenfield — come in and fight the FBOP until they leave me alone. Of the last 7 incident reports, 3 have been expunged upon appeal, and of the other 4, which we are currently appealing, there have so far been 4 initial hearings, 1 partial expungement, and 4 ordered remands for rehearings. It’s a dance, one that is designed on one side to dissuade me from writing and on the other side to enable me to write.
To this point in my career as an incarcerated writer, I have only been afraid a few times. I’m rather stubborn, after all. The first was when they locked me in solitary in 2012. The second was when my unit team artificially inflated my custody and classification points and attempted to transfer me to a maximum security federal prison from my current medium (the attorneys stopped it). And the final time is now, as I share the story of Ashley Jean Arnold.
Ashley Jean Arnold
For the past few years, I have worked hard to help a transgender inmate named Ashley Jean Arnold. Along with another prison litigator (whom I won’t name here due to the threat of retaliation), we have pushed the FBOP and, in particular, FCI Petersburg to provide Ashley, and her transgender sisters here, meaningful treatment for their gender dysphoria.
The process has not been an easy one. It has included filing grievances, a state lawsuit, and a federal lawsuit (Arnold v. Wilson, EDVA 1:13cv900). Over the years we had a few successes, but almost all tempered by either severe delays in care or failures.
During this process, Ashley was subjected to harassment and retaliation not by inmates, which would be expected, but by prison officials. They lodged 4 incident reports against her (3 of which were obviously retaliatory and 1 of those was administratively thrown out), locked her in the hole for a month, took several privileges for months on end, fired her from her job, and filed false treatment notes in her Psychology Department file. These were the tangibles.
The intangibles include gender-based harassment from virtually all levels of the administration. She reported harassment on the part of the FCI Petersburg Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Compliance Officer, a unit manager, a case manager coordinator, drug treatment specialist, and a treatment specialist.
These are in addition to the “regular” harassment by line cops. It was ugly, and when we filed administrative remedies concerning this abuse, they were largely ignored by prison officials.
Ashley’s Suicide; My Call to Action
While I worked hard on Ashley’s case, it wasn’t until Tuesday, February 24, 2015, that I decided to pull out all the stops. This was the day that she hung herself in her prison cell, the day that the calculus changed. From that point on, and as I told a senior prison official shortly after her death, I was going to hold each and every one of Ashley’s abusers accountable for their actions. They killed my friend, what more could they possibly do to me? Well, as it turns out, a lot, at least mentally.
As the war machine heated up, I, along with several others, started to pump out articles, letters to our representatives, attorneys, fellow activists and friends, and even a Department of Justice complaint.
Prison administrators at FCI Petersburg were not amused. They quickly administratively cut off email for Sangye Rinchen, Ashley’s best friend and fellow transgender prisoner. They followed this with an incident report and within 24 hours, a quick disciplinary hearing which found Ms. Rinchen guilty and sanctioned her to 90 days loss of email. The meaning was clear: write about Ashley and we’re coming for you.
The issue is that Ashley’s supporters, including me, are alleging hefty misconduct on the part of FCI Petersburg prison officials, some of which might constitute criminal activity. Needless to say, prison officials aren’t pleased with this narrative getting out.
It would be more convenient to simply silence those who are trying to expose the manifest injustice in Ashley’s plight. This is exactly what they are trying to do. I have personally been told by a lieutenant that we are not permitted to tell anyone outside of the prison about Ashley Arnold’s suicide. Another prison official told a friend that the word from on high was that anyone who speaks with the media will be issued an incident report. The battle lines have been drawn.
Waiting for the Gestapo to Arrive
Those of us who knew Ashley best refuse to back down and capitulate to these illegal and unconstitutional tactics and demands. To do so would be to allow Ashley’s abusers to win. That would soil her legacy. That we are not willing to do.
For me, I’m going to keep on writing and advocating until it is literally impossible for me to continue. These days that means when my hand gives out from writing, but the day is coming when they will snap my pen, shred my pages, and throw me in some dark hole to serve my final 3 years in custody. That is a cost that I’m willing to pay.
Last night at around 11 pm three prison guards came to my cell. They unlocked my door and escorted me into the unit team offices area. As we walked I wondered when the cuffs would go on, and if this was the fabled beating for those who dare to speak out. The whole time I was waiting to be pulled into a tile cell and stomped for my offenses. It never happened. After leaving the Lieutenant’s Office, the story was they grabbed the wrong guy. But then again, perhaps it was really a dry run, a sign of things to come.
(Published by blackandpink.org; used by permission)
_____
Note: Christopher Zoukis can be reached for comment, interview, or supporting documentation at: Christopher Zoukis (#22132-058), FCI Petersburg, P.O. Box 1000, Petersburg, VA 23804
Book Marketing From Prison
Book marketing in the world outside of prison is fairly straightforward. The author writes a book, ideally has the foresight to build an author platform in the process, and then uses the platform and other tools to market their book once it is published.
These other tools often consist of a snazzy website, writing commitments at relevant and visible publications, outreach to book reviewers, optimizing Amazon sales page copy, and targeted advertisements. Many, many books profile this straightforward, yet work-intensive and challenging process.
But what if the author is in prison? What if they don’t have access to a computer, the internet, email, or even a regular landline or cell phone? Now things start to get interesting. This article focuses on my experiences as an incarcerated book author and my efforts to promote my books, even from within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where I currently reside. It is presented with the hope of helping those inside prison in marketing their books, and to enlighten regular book authors of how good they really have it.
Find A Dedicated Outside Assistant
Authors outside of prison have it easy. Their first question is, “Where do I start?” This is often several steps down the road for incarcerated authors. For the incarcerated author, the first question is, “Who can help me do what needs to be done?” And this can often be a crippling issue.
Incarcerated authors understand early on that they cannot possibly market a book from prison without the expert assistance of someone outside of prison, someone who has access to a computer and the internet. Often this position can be filled by a dedicated family member or friend, or, if absolutely necessary — and if funds are available — then by paying an assistant or helper. Due to the hustle and bustle of regular life outside of prison, this latter option is often the best by far. While it is challenging, effective assistants can be found on websites like Craig’s List. It is this outside assistant that will help with most of the following tasks. Finding a good one is perhaps the most essential task in the book marketing process.
Create an Author Website
One of the best tools for an incarcerated writer — or any sort of writer — is a website with a hosted blog. While prisoners can’t access the internet, their outside contacts can. Through the use of platforms such as SquareSpace and WordPress, websites can be created and hosted fairly inexpensively. By using templates — and generous support services — the outside contact can get by not even knowing a bit of coding.
This website should have several different landing pages. There should be a succinct homepage which essentially summarizes the incarcerated author’s work. A bio page is also very helpful since it educates visitors about the prisoner and their plight. A contact page is essential for fans and supporters to have a mechanism through which to connect with the incarcerated writer. By incorporating a blog into the website, the prison writer can regularly appear in front of their target audience and grow a fan base. This blog should be hosted on the website itself, not on an external blogging service. And last, as they publish each new book, a new page should be published which focuses specifically on the book in question.
My website is an example of a good website for an incarcerated writer. At my website, we incorporate much of the advice in this article.
Email Newsletters
Let’s face it, most visitors come to a website perhaps once or a few times, forget about it, and don’t return. This is akin to a newspaper selling a single copy of their publication to a reader, then not bothering to remind them to buy another. Well, the same concept applies to websites. By incorporating an email newsletter feature — whereby visitors can input their email addresses to receive updates — not only will the incarcerated author be able to reach past visitors via email, but they will also be constantly growing a targeted email marketing list for when their books are published. Prisoners should have their website managers take a look at low-cost email marketing services like Mail Chimp and Constant Contacts. These provide tools for website integration and statistics tracking on all emails sent.
Author Platform Building
Author platforms are very subjective and topically specific. To start, an “author platform” is any mechanism by which a writer can get in front of their target readership. In this day and age, this is primarily done through websites and other online publications, although it can also be done in print publications, even if this is substantially more challenging due to space limitations and fierce competition.
Incarcerated fiction authors should focus their platform building efforts on their blog, any websites that publish fiction, or literary journals. They could also submit to award competitions like Glimmer Train, or even the free PEN American Center Prison Writing Competition. For incarcerated nonfiction authors, there are many more opportunities, especially if the writer focuses on prison law or social justice topics since there are several worthy print publications who regularly publish writings by prisoners. The two premier print prison publications are probably Prison Legal News and the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons. Since Prison Legal News has the largest circulation in the prison marketplace of any publication the world over, it is an excellent publication to submit quality content to.
Outside of print publications, incarcerated authors can also submit to quality online outlets like AND Magazine, Slate, Salon, Examiner, and others. While some swear by article banks such as Ezines Articles, Article City, and others, my experiences with large article directories like these is that they have been lackluster and unimpressive. Instead, incarcerated authors are encouraged to submit to targeted and active outlets like PrisonEducation.com, PrisonLawBlog.com, and Solitary Watch.
Amazon Sales Copy Optimization
Perhaps the most important sales channel in this day and age for all authors is their book’s product page on Amazon. While many authors are ignorant of this, those with books for sale on Amazon can apply for an Amazon Authors page. This page allows authors to add a bio, syndicate their latest blog posts into the page, add photos and other extras, but most importantly, edit their book’s product details.
Every author with an Amazon Authors page can edit and add to the existing marketing copy their publisher submitted. Often, traditional book publishers have such a huge workload that they can’t spend the time required to optimize the product details for each of their books. And this is sad since Amazon really is the largest small bookstore in the world. Incarcerated authors — and regular authors alike — should spend the time to provide as much effective copy as they can. This can only improve the book’s discoverability.
To see a good example of an optimized Amazon book product page, take a look at my Directory of Federal Prisons page.
Goodreads and LibraryThing Author Profiles
Goodreads and LibraryThing are a mix of book catalogs, recommendations, and social media websites all wrapped up into one. While readers can catalog, review, and rate the books they’ve read on each of these websites, authors can edit the details of their products, engage in easy outreach to readers, and syndicate their blog posts (ideally from their stand-alone website) into their author profiles. Thus, while some initial legwork is required to create and optimize the Goodreads and LibraryThing website profiles, all the incarcerated author and outside contact need to do is post to the blog on the author’s website, and the new posts will effectively update the profiles not only on Goodreads and LibraryThing, but the Amazon Authors page, too.
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
While prisoners love the idea of being on social media, it is often more hassle than it’s worth. The return on investment — both in terms of time and any funds spent on a professional presence — just isn’t there. But what does work on these three social media channels are automated updates from the incarcerated author’s blog. Just like with the syndication of blog posts, both SquareSpace and WordPress both allow for posts to be automatically tweeted on Twitter, shared on Facebook, and G+ed on Google+. All of these social media profiles can also be integrated into the aforementioned author’s pages. Marketing automation at its best.
Online Author Tours: Book Reviews and Interviews
By and large, independent authors are shifting away from expensive time-based publicists to lower-cost service-based online marketers. This is a good thing, especially for the incarcerated author since they usually can’t easily do interviews in person, on the telephone, or via email.
The model that appears to work the best for incarcerated authors and their outside helpers is to retain the services of an online book tour expert to promote the book, schedule book placements on relevant blogs and websites, and handle all other busy work surrounding such a project. For $1,000, upwards of 50 placements can be secured. These placements often consist of guest blog posts, book reviews, or interviews, which the author can answer ahead of time. Thus, the disconnection of writing from prison doesn’t become a detriment to book publicity or marketing.
Targeted Advertising: Online and in Print
Much of the time authors get hung up on the big book outlets like the New York Times Book Review or Publishers Weekly. After all, these are the big dogs, and, as such are where the world’s largest and most influential publishers regularly advertise. Since an incarcerated author’s entire book marketing budget might only be a few hundred dollars, their money is much better off spent in specialty, hyper-targeted media because that is where their readership resides, and costs are significantly reduced.
An incarcerated author’s budget in print should be spent at Prison Legal News if their book is nonfiction and about prisons or social justice. If it is of a more general flavor or fiction, they shouldn’t bother with print advertising. It’s plainly much too expensive. Regardless of the type of book, advertising on Goodreads is an excellent option. The Goodreads self-serve advertising system is based off of clicks (called “Cost Per Click” or CPC), not impressions (called “Cost Per Impression” or CPI). And the cost is based on the bidding system. This means that the prisoner, via their outside helper, can set a total campaign budget (say, $100) and a bid per click (say, 10 to 50 cents per click), and they only have to pay for the ad when it is actually clicked on. This is very low cost advertising which is only incurred when an active user actively follows the link to the incarcerated author’s book page.
A side component of the Goodreads advertising system concerns book giveaways. Goodreads allows users to give away copies of their books through their system. This is a free service which the Goodreads staffers manage. So, for the price of 5 to 10 books at a time, an incarcerated author can have a steady stream of book giveaways. The huge bonus here is that many of the readers who receive a free copy of the book will also review the book and post the review to Amazon.
The Truth About Online Press Releases
One fable often promoted in the independent author industry — and, in particular, in the prison writing genre — is that press releases result in massive amounts of attention and possibly book sales. This is plainly not the case. Much of what is distributed through these online press release companies is simply spam that results in no return on investment. Some outlets charge thousands of dollars for an SEO optimized press release, a gross overpricing for a relatively simple action that is usually accompanied by unrealistic promises of its effectiveness.
The long and short of online press releases is that it is generally a good idea to send one out announcing a book’s release, but to not spend an arm and a leg on it. This money is much better spend on a quality online book tour, or better yet, if funds are very limited, on optimizing an Amazon Authors page. With literally no money to speak of, an incarcerated author could easily create an Amazon Authors page, optimize the product description for their book, and post blog posts to the profile. While not nearly as good as a stand-alone website, certainly a good step in the right direction, and one which doesn’t require a large expense of capital.
The Focus of All Efforts: Selling the Sizzle
Even with all of the hurdles to effectively marketing a book from prison, incarcerated authors have one huge step up on fellow, non-incarcerated writers: the novelty of writing from prison. This simple fact offers a certain controversy that can help to open doors. Readers, much like the American people as a whole, tend to be fascinated with crime. They also generally believe that those in prison aren’t the sharpest pencils around. Because of these two factors, a well-spoken prisoner — or better yet, a talented incarcerated wordsmith — not only surprises and catches the attention of editors, book reviewers, and readers, but also commands a certain amount of authority, and cachet, when writing about prisons, corrections, and criminal law.
Incarcerated writers and authors must use this as their hook in everything they do. While some might try to minimize this aspect of their circumstance in an attempt to look more professional, to do so is a grave mistake. There are many good, even superb writers in the world. But in prison, there are only a handful. Incarcerated writers should use this novelty aspect of their circumstance to open doors, sell more books, and create something they can then take with them upon their release from custody. Not only will the bottom line become more favorable, but their chances at success upon release from prison will improve, too.
The Long and Short of Book Marketing from Prison
Effective book marketing is hard. It’s hard with a ton of money at an author’s or publisher’s disposal, and it’s even harder if there is no money at all. The key is in prioritizing expenses, finding smart outsource opportunities, and managing the rest of the legwork oneself. Virtually all of the components discussed in this article are optional. The only mandatory component concerns finding a dedicated person outside of prison to act as the communications manager. This is essential. Effectively marketing a book from prison is not possible without a reliable outside contact.
The best advice in this realm comes from personal experience. My personal experience marketing my books about prisons and prison education has been to spend the majority of available funds on a central platform (i.e., our websites PrisonEducation.com and PrisonLawBlog.com). This is because these are our own properties, and can be used for all of our book projects. Following this, the best money spent is on a virtual book tour. They are very effective at pumping up book sales, but they can be time intensive and sometimes too technical for an outside contact to plan, engage, and manage. Last, if funds are still available, targeted, low-cost advertisements are very helpful, but they should be focused on an audience who are already engaging in ways the author wants engagement (e.g., ads on Goodreads promote book reviews, ads in Prison Legal News promote sales to prisoners, etc.).
Writing books in prison is hard. Prison administrators and prison guards like to shut prisoners up or otherwise hinder their public advocacy. Prison mail rooms and the communication protocols in place make timely correspondence very challenging. And lack of internet and true computer access make book marketing almost impossible. But by following the above plan, effective book PR is possible. The proof is in the results of those of us who have come before and succeeded. And the results can be replicated through thorough research, trial, and error. But as missteps are made, a road map too is created. And eventually, the road map of what works will prove to be sustainable and will afford even someone stuck in a prison to become a visible, world-class author.
These other tools often consist of a snazzy website, writing commitments at relevant and visible publications, outreach to book reviewers, optimizing Amazon sales page copy, and targeted advertisements. Many, many books profile this straightforward, yet work-intensive and challenging process.
But what if the author is in prison? What if they don’t have access to a computer, the internet, email, or even a regular landline or cell phone? Now things start to get interesting. This article focuses on my experiences as an incarcerated book author and my efforts to promote my books, even from within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where I currently reside. It is presented with the hope of helping those inside prison in marketing their books, and to enlighten regular book authors of how good they really have it.
Find A Dedicated Outside Assistant
Authors outside of prison have it easy. Their first question is, “Where do I start?” This is often several steps down the road for incarcerated authors. For the incarcerated author, the first question is, “Who can help me do what needs to be done?” And this can often be a crippling issue.
Incarcerated authors understand early on that they cannot possibly market a book from prison without the expert assistance of someone outside of prison, someone who has access to a computer and the internet. Often this position can be filled by a dedicated family member or friend, or, if absolutely necessary — and if funds are available — then by paying an assistant or helper. Due to the hustle and bustle of regular life outside of prison, this latter option is often the best by far. While it is challenging, effective assistants can be found on websites like Craig’s List. It is this outside assistant that will help with most of the following tasks. Finding a good one is perhaps the most essential task in the book marketing process.
Create an Author Website
One of the best tools for an incarcerated writer — or any sort of writer — is a website with a hosted blog. While prisoners can’t access the internet, their outside contacts can. Through the use of platforms such as SquareSpace and WordPress, websites can be created and hosted fairly inexpensively. By using templates — and generous support services — the outside contact can get by not even knowing a bit of coding.
This website should have several different landing pages. There should be a succinct homepage which essentially summarizes the incarcerated author’s work. A bio page is also very helpful since it educates visitors about the prisoner and their plight. A contact page is essential for fans and supporters to have a mechanism through which to connect with the incarcerated writer. By incorporating a blog into the website, the prison writer can regularly appear in front of their target audience and grow a fan base. This blog should be hosted on the website itself, not on an external blogging service. And last, as they publish each new book, a new page should be published which focuses specifically on the book in question.
My website is an example of a good website for an incarcerated writer. At my website, we incorporate much of the advice in this article.
Email Newsletters
Let’s face it, most visitors come to a website perhaps once or a few times, forget about it, and don’t return. This is akin to a newspaper selling a single copy of their publication to a reader, then not bothering to remind them to buy another. Well, the same concept applies to websites. By incorporating an email newsletter feature — whereby visitors can input their email addresses to receive updates — not only will the incarcerated author be able to reach past visitors via email, but they will also be constantly growing a targeted email marketing list for when their books are published. Prisoners should have their website managers take a look at low-cost email marketing services like Mail Chimp and Constant Contacts. These provide tools for website integration and statistics tracking on all emails sent.
Author Platform Building
Author platforms are very subjective and topically specific. To start, an “author platform” is any mechanism by which a writer can get in front of their target readership. In this day and age, this is primarily done through websites and other online publications, although it can also be done in print publications, even if this is substantially more challenging due to space limitations and fierce competition.
Incarcerated fiction authors should focus their platform building efforts on their blog, any websites that publish fiction, or literary journals. They could also submit to award competitions like Glimmer Train, or even the free PEN American Center Prison Writing Competition. For incarcerated nonfiction authors, there are many more opportunities, especially if the writer focuses on prison law or social justice topics since there are several worthy print publications who regularly publish writings by prisoners. The two premier print prison publications are probably Prison Legal News and the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons. Since Prison Legal News has the largest circulation in the prison marketplace of any publication the world over, it is an excellent publication to submit quality content to.
Outside of print publications, incarcerated authors can also submit to quality online outlets like AND Magazine, Slate, Salon, Examiner, and others. While some swear by article banks such as Ezines Articles, Article City, and others, my experiences with large article directories like these is that they have been lackluster and unimpressive. Instead, incarcerated authors are encouraged to submit to targeted and active outlets like PrisonEducation.com, PrisonLawBlog.com, and Solitary Watch.
Amazon Sales Copy Optimization
Perhaps the most important sales channel in this day and age for all authors is their book’s product page on Amazon. While many authors are ignorant of this, those with books for sale on Amazon can apply for an Amazon Authors page. This page allows authors to add a bio, syndicate their latest blog posts into the page, add photos and other extras, but most importantly, edit their book’s product details.
Every author with an Amazon Authors page can edit and add to the existing marketing copy their publisher submitted. Often, traditional book publishers have such a huge workload that they can’t spend the time required to optimize the product details for each of their books. And this is sad since Amazon really is the largest small bookstore in the world. Incarcerated authors — and regular authors alike — should spend the time to provide as much effective copy as they can. This can only improve the book’s discoverability.
To see a good example of an optimized Amazon book product page, take a look at my Directory of Federal Prisons page.
Goodreads and LibraryThing Author Profiles
Goodreads and LibraryThing are a mix of book catalogs, recommendations, and social media websites all wrapped up into one. While readers can catalog, review, and rate the books they’ve read on each of these websites, authors can edit the details of their products, engage in easy outreach to readers, and syndicate their blog posts (ideally from their stand-alone website) into their author profiles. Thus, while some initial legwork is required to create and optimize the Goodreads and LibraryThing website profiles, all the incarcerated author and outside contact need to do is post to the blog on the author’s website, and the new posts will effectively update the profiles not only on Goodreads and LibraryThing, but the Amazon Authors page, too.
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
While prisoners love the idea of being on social media, it is often more hassle than it’s worth. The return on investment — both in terms of time and any funds spent on a professional presence — just isn’t there. But what does work on these three social media channels are automated updates from the incarcerated author’s blog. Just like with the syndication of blog posts, both SquareSpace and WordPress both allow for posts to be automatically tweeted on Twitter, shared on Facebook, and G+ed on Google+. All of these social media profiles can also be integrated into the aforementioned author’s pages. Marketing automation at its best.
Online Author Tours: Book Reviews and Interviews
By and large, independent authors are shifting away from expensive time-based publicists to lower-cost service-based online marketers. This is a good thing, especially for the incarcerated author since they usually can’t easily do interviews in person, on the telephone, or via email.
The model that appears to work the best for incarcerated authors and their outside helpers is to retain the services of an online book tour expert to promote the book, schedule book placements on relevant blogs and websites, and handle all other busy work surrounding such a project. For $1,000, upwards of 50 placements can be secured. These placements often consist of guest blog posts, book reviews, or interviews, which the author can answer ahead of time. Thus, the disconnection of writing from prison doesn’t become a detriment to book publicity or marketing.
Targeted Advertising: Online and in Print
Much of the time authors get hung up on the big book outlets like the New York Times Book Review or Publishers Weekly. After all, these are the big dogs, and, as such are where the world’s largest and most influential publishers regularly advertise. Since an incarcerated author’s entire book marketing budget might only be a few hundred dollars, their money is much better off spent in specialty, hyper-targeted media because that is where their readership resides, and costs are significantly reduced.
An incarcerated author’s budget in print should be spent at Prison Legal News if their book is nonfiction and about prisons or social justice. If it is of a more general flavor or fiction, they shouldn’t bother with print advertising. It’s plainly much too expensive. Regardless of the type of book, advertising on Goodreads is an excellent option. The Goodreads self-serve advertising system is based off of clicks (called “Cost Per Click” or CPC), not impressions (called “Cost Per Impression” or CPI). And the cost is based on the bidding system. This means that the prisoner, via their outside helper, can set a total campaign budget (say, $100) and a bid per click (say, 10 to 50 cents per click), and they only have to pay for the ad when it is actually clicked on. This is very low cost advertising which is only incurred when an active user actively follows the link to the incarcerated author’s book page.
A side component of the Goodreads advertising system concerns book giveaways. Goodreads allows users to give away copies of their books through their system. This is a free service which the Goodreads staffers manage. So, for the price of 5 to 10 books at a time, an incarcerated author can have a steady stream of book giveaways. The huge bonus here is that many of the readers who receive a free copy of the book will also review the book and post the review to Amazon.
The Truth About Online Press Releases
One fable often promoted in the independent author industry — and, in particular, in the prison writing genre — is that press releases result in massive amounts of attention and possibly book sales. This is plainly not the case. Much of what is distributed through these online press release companies is simply spam that results in no return on investment. Some outlets charge thousands of dollars for an SEO optimized press release, a gross overpricing for a relatively simple action that is usually accompanied by unrealistic promises of its effectiveness.
The long and short of online press releases is that it is generally a good idea to send one out announcing a book’s release, but to not spend an arm and a leg on it. This money is much better spend on a quality online book tour, or better yet, if funds are very limited, on optimizing an Amazon Authors page. With literally no money to speak of, an incarcerated author could easily create an Amazon Authors page, optimize the product description for their book, and post blog posts to the profile. While not nearly as good as a stand-alone website, certainly a good step in the right direction, and one which doesn’t require a large expense of capital.
The Focus of All Efforts: Selling the Sizzle
Even with all of the hurdles to effectively marketing a book from prison, incarcerated authors have one huge step up on fellow, non-incarcerated writers: the novelty of writing from prison. This simple fact offers a certain controversy that can help to open doors. Readers, much like the American people as a whole, tend to be fascinated with crime. They also generally believe that those in prison aren’t the sharpest pencils around. Because of these two factors, a well-spoken prisoner — or better yet, a talented incarcerated wordsmith — not only surprises and catches the attention of editors, book reviewers, and readers, but also commands a certain amount of authority, and cachet, when writing about prisons, corrections, and criminal law.
Incarcerated writers and authors must use this as their hook in everything they do. While some might try to minimize this aspect of their circumstance in an attempt to look more professional, to do so is a grave mistake. There are many good, even superb writers in the world. But in prison, there are only a handful. Incarcerated writers should use this novelty aspect of their circumstance to open doors, sell more books, and create something they can then take with them upon their release from custody. Not only will the bottom line become more favorable, but their chances at success upon release from prison will improve, too.
The Long and Short of Book Marketing from Prison
Effective book marketing is hard. It’s hard with a ton of money at an author’s or publisher’s disposal, and it’s even harder if there is no money at all. The key is in prioritizing expenses, finding smart outsource opportunities, and managing the rest of the legwork oneself. Virtually all of the components discussed in this article are optional. The only mandatory component concerns finding a dedicated person outside of prison to act as the communications manager. This is essential. Effectively marketing a book from prison is not possible without a reliable outside contact.
The best advice in this realm comes from personal experience. My personal experience marketing my books about prisons and prison education has been to spend the majority of available funds on a central platform (i.e., our websites PrisonEducation.com and PrisonLawBlog.com). This is because these are our own properties, and can be used for all of our book projects. Following this, the best money spent is on a virtual book tour. They are very effective at pumping up book sales, but they can be time intensive and sometimes too technical for an outside contact to plan, engage, and manage. Last, if funds are still available, targeted, low-cost advertisements are very helpful, but they should be focused on an audience who are already engaging in ways the author wants engagement (e.g., ads on Goodreads promote book reviews, ads in Prison Legal News promote sales to prisoners, etc.).
Writing books in prison is hard. Prison administrators and prison guards like to shut prisoners up or otherwise hinder their public advocacy. Prison mail rooms and the communication protocols in place make timely correspondence very challenging. And lack of internet and true computer access make book marketing almost impossible. But by following the above plan, effective book PR is possible. The proof is in the results of those of us who have come before and succeeded. And the results can be replicated through thorough research, trial, and error. But as missteps are made, a road map too is created. And eventually, the road map of what works will prove to be sustainable and will afford even someone stuck in a prison to become a visible, world-class author.
Prison Pecking Order
In the world outside of prison, everyone wants to know what others do, where they work, how much they make, where and in what type of house they live, what they drive, and the answers to many other personal identity questions which help us to quantify and categorize others. These are social signals to those around all of us. They help us to understand how to treat others, how they compare to us, and a plethora of other interpersonal protocols. Not very surprisingly, prison is no different.
The Prison Pecking Order
In prison, unlike life "on the street," social status is not based upon what a fellow prisoner makes or what they do for a living, but what their crime of conviction is, if the fellow prisoner is an informant or not, the group (or "car") they associate with, and how they carry themselves. Also unlike the world outside of prison walls, this social status can mean the difference between a life of torment and assault, and a relatively peaceful life, where due respect is proffered by perceived social equals and lesser-thans. As such, it is vital for new arrivals -- and others who want to understand the prison experience -- to understand how stratification works in a correctional context. Doing so will ensure that they maximize their chances of surviving relatively unscathed.
Crime of Conviction: Social Stigmatization at its Best
The convict stratification equation starts, much like many other components of prison life, in a seemingly backward fashion. When judging a fellow prisoner's social status, one doesn't start by thinking of who they are today, but what they did to be locked up in the first place. This is a common starting point for any evaluation because it helps to quickly -- and relatively accurately -- quantify complete strangers. After all, if a fellow prisoner is, for example, doing time for bank robbery, then it can be assumed that he is a traditional convict, schooled in the criminal lifestyle. On the other hand, if someone is in for wire fraud or embezzlement, then they are probably not considered "good people" -- according to the social construction of prison society -- and will be categorized as a "citizen," not a true convict.
The same form of judging occurs with other, less savory crimes, too. Having an unpopular crime of conviction is a quick path to the lower realms of the prison stratification system. Those with a criminal history of sexual assault, possession, distribution, or production of child pornography, rape, molestation, and such are deemed in prison to be the lowest of the low. Those with these types of crimes are almost automatically shunned from Day One, though they can often find a place amongst fellow unsavory types (those many regular prisoners disparagingly call "weirdos").
The Rat Factor
After this initial evaluation has been figured, the next question -- regardless of crime of conviction -- concerns if the prisoner in question has testified against anyone else. This could be in terms of testifying in court (they would be deemed an "informant" in this case) or snitching on their fellow prisoners (they would be deemed a "rat" in this context). Regardless of crime of conviction, if a prisoner is known to assist law enforcement or the prison authorities, they are deemed to be the lowest of the low. Add a conviction for an unsavory crime, and any "good con" wouldn't be seen dead speaking with them, or worse, many might make a point to openly assault such individuals based upon principle. Whereas in regular American society, those who are a bit odd or disagreeable are avoided, those in prison face a much harder fate: ostracism, shunning, and possible assault (depending on the prison security level in question).
Association: The "Car" You Ride In
After a fellow prisoner has been evaluated for their crime of conviction and if they are an informant or not, the next step in the social judging ladder concerns who they associate with. In prison, associations matter. In fact, they can be vital to a healthy and safe prison experience. This is because, in prison, when one prisoner gets into an altercation with another -- or even when others think about causing a problem for a fellow prisoner -- they must take into account that they are not merely picking a fight with one person, but that person, plus everyone that person associates with. Prisoners tend to form smaller groups -- called "cars" in the prison context -- whom they eat with, work out with, cell with, and defend one another.
These cars can be formed for any number of reasons and can include any number of different groupings. For example, a common trait amongst the cars concerns where someone is from. This could be as micro as the street or city they lived in prior to their incarceration, or it could include all of the prisoners at a specific prison from a state or county. These can be informal groups of likeminded persons, based on racial or religious factors, or even be traditional prison or street gangs (e.g., Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, etc.). The car could even consist of what most prisoners would consider "weirdos" (those with unsavory charges or character).
Depending on the car in question -- and its reputation -- an association can make all the difference in the world. For example, in prison, no one in their right mind would openly assault someone from the Muslim car unless they had permission from their crew and, possibly, an approving nod from the Muslim "shot caller" (the leader of the group). This is because there are many, many Muslim prisoners in almost any American prison. On the other hand, someone from a weirdo car wouldn't have anywhere near the same sort of protection because their car probably wouldn't step up to the plate and defend even their own.
Personal Projection: It's the Image that Counts
The way a prisoner presents themselves is a bit of a wildcard. Usually, crime of conviction, the potential rat factor, and associations lead the way in determining where someone will reside in the prison social stratification system. But this is not always the case. More often than not, a prisoner's personal projection -- or perceived image -- will dictate their pecking order within their particular car, and it's the car that determines the prisoner's social status.
But from time to time, there are prisoners who are either afforded additional respect or additional harassment due to the way they carry themselves. For example, not too long ago, there was a guy in my prison who associated with the weirdo car -- and was openly gay, a somewhat taboo subject in prison -- yet could fight very, very well. So, while some groups didn't like him because of his sexual preferences and lifestyle, many respected him because he was a standup convict and could hold his own (a physical and personality trait very much respected in the prison environment).
External Social Ranking Factors: Prison Security Level and Time
There are even external social ranking factors which can come into play when quantifying a fellow prisoner. A simple one is the amount of time that the person was sentenced to. As long as the prisoner hasn't been charged with an unsavory crime, the more time they receive the more respect they seem to garner from their fellow convicts. Likewise, prisoners who receive very short sentences (called "bids") tend to be regarded as insignificant pests by those with more time. This is largely due to "short timers" always complaining about simple things or problems associated with getting ready to be released. Obviously, those in for decades don't want to hear about how a short term prisoner is going to get home from prison on the day that they are released or how much halfway house time they received.
Of more significance is the security level the prisoners are incarcerated within. Generally speaking, the higher the security level, the more important the pecking order. At maximum security federal prisons (called either "United States Penitentiaries" or "USPs") this pecking order determines where prisoners sit at chow (if they are even allowed to sit at a table by their fellow prisoners), where they cell, where on the recreation yard they workout or hangout, and every other component of prison life. Those who belong to stronger or more revered cars often have an easier prison experience, and those who are alone (called "independents") or who belong to a weirdo car tend to have a more challenging time.
The lower the security level, the less the pecking order and prison politics comes into play. Prisoners incarcerated at the low security and minimum security levels don't really have to worry about being assaulted for their characteristics, their associations, or their crime. On the other hand, those at the medium security and maximum security levels do. Much of this security level discussion is outside of the individual prisoner's control since it is the prison administration, not the individual prisoner, who scores and designates a prisoner to a particular security level.
Convict Stratification: A Fluid and Evolving Discipline
Clearly there are a number of components which contribute to the stratification system employed in American prisons. These various components all add together into a fluid mental equation which results in a snapshot -- or a belief -- of what a fellow prisoner stands for and their social value in the prison context. This estimation of social value is a constantly evolving belief, but one which is shared by the prison population as a whole. In a word, the prisoner's reputation is what is at stake here, something hard to earn, and easy to lose. And in the prison context, this can be the difference between a life of comfort and a life of abject torture and fear.
The Prison Pecking Order
In prison, unlike life "on the street," social status is not based upon what a fellow prisoner makes or what they do for a living, but what their crime of conviction is, if the fellow prisoner is an informant or not, the group (or "car") they associate with, and how they carry themselves. Also unlike the world outside of prison walls, this social status can mean the difference between a life of torment and assault, and a relatively peaceful life, where due respect is proffered by perceived social equals and lesser-thans. As such, it is vital for new arrivals -- and others who want to understand the prison experience -- to understand how stratification works in a correctional context. Doing so will ensure that they maximize their chances of surviving relatively unscathed.
Crime of Conviction: Social Stigmatization at its Best
The convict stratification equation starts, much like many other components of prison life, in a seemingly backward fashion. When judging a fellow prisoner's social status, one doesn't start by thinking of who they are today, but what they did to be locked up in the first place. This is a common starting point for any evaluation because it helps to quickly -- and relatively accurately -- quantify complete strangers. After all, if a fellow prisoner is, for example, doing time for bank robbery, then it can be assumed that he is a traditional convict, schooled in the criminal lifestyle. On the other hand, if someone is in for wire fraud or embezzlement, then they are probably not considered "good people" -- according to the social construction of prison society -- and will be categorized as a "citizen," not a true convict.
The same form of judging occurs with other, less savory crimes, too. Having an unpopular crime of conviction is a quick path to the lower realms of the prison stratification system. Those with a criminal history of sexual assault, possession, distribution, or production of child pornography, rape, molestation, and such are deemed in prison to be the lowest of the low. Those with these types of crimes are almost automatically shunned from Day One, though they can often find a place amongst fellow unsavory types (those many regular prisoners disparagingly call "weirdos").
The Rat Factor
After this initial evaluation has been figured, the next question -- regardless of crime of conviction -- concerns if the prisoner in question has testified against anyone else. This could be in terms of testifying in court (they would be deemed an "informant" in this case) or snitching on their fellow prisoners (they would be deemed a "rat" in this context). Regardless of crime of conviction, if a prisoner is known to assist law enforcement or the prison authorities, they are deemed to be the lowest of the low. Add a conviction for an unsavory crime, and any "good con" wouldn't be seen dead speaking with them, or worse, many might make a point to openly assault such individuals based upon principle. Whereas in regular American society, those who are a bit odd or disagreeable are avoided, those in prison face a much harder fate: ostracism, shunning, and possible assault (depending on the prison security level in question).
Association: The "Car" You Ride In
After a fellow prisoner has been evaluated for their crime of conviction and if they are an informant or not, the next step in the social judging ladder concerns who they associate with. In prison, associations matter. In fact, they can be vital to a healthy and safe prison experience. This is because, in prison, when one prisoner gets into an altercation with another -- or even when others think about causing a problem for a fellow prisoner -- they must take into account that they are not merely picking a fight with one person, but that person, plus everyone that person associates with. Prisoners tend to form smaller groups -- called "cars" in the prison context -- whom they eat with, work out with, cell with, and defend one another.
These cars can be formed for any number of reasons and can include any number of different groupings. For example, a common trait amongst the cars concerns where someone is from. This could be as micro as the street or city they lived in prior to their incarceration, or it could include all of the prisoners at a specific prison from a state or county. These can be informal groups of likeminded persons, based on racial or religious factors, or even be traditional prison or street gangs (e.g., Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, etc.). The car could even consist of what most prisoners would consider "weirdos" (those with unsavory charges or character).
Depending on the car in question -- and its reputation -- an association can make all the difference in the world. For example, in prison, no one in their right mind would openly assault someone from the Muslim car unless they had permission from their crew and, possibly, an approving nod from the Muslim "shot caller" (the leader of the group). This is because there are many, many Muslim prisoners in almost any American prison. On the other hand, someone from a weirdo car wouldn't have anywhere near the same sort of protection because their car probably wouldn't step up to the plate and defend even their own.
Personal Projection: It's the Image that Counts
The way a prisoner presents themselves is a bit of a wildcard. Usually, crime of conviction, the potential rat factor, and associations lead the way in determining where someone will reside in the prison social stratification system. But this is not always the case. More often than not, a prisoner's personal projection -- or perceived image -- will dictate their pecking order within their particular car, and it's the car that determines the prisoner's social status.
But from time to time, there are prisoners who are either afforded additional respect or additional harassment due to the way they carry themselves. For example, not too long ago, there was a guy in my prison who associated with the weirdo car -- and was openly gay, a somewhat taboo subject in prison -- yet could fight very, very well. So, while some groups didn't like him because of his sexual preferences and lifestyle, many respected him because he was a standup convict and could hold his own (a physical and personality trait very much respected in the prison environment).
External Social Ranking Factors: Prison Security Level and Time
There are even external social ranking factors which can come into play when quantifying a fellow prisoner. A simple one is the amount of time that the person was sentenced to. As long as the prisoner hasn't been charged with an unsavory crime, the more time they receive the more respect they seem to garner from their fellow convicts. Likewise, prisoners who receive very short sentences (called "bids") tend to be regarded as insignificant pests by those with more time. This is largely due to "short timers" always complaining about simple things or problems associated with getting ready to be released. Obviously, those in for decades don't want to hear about how a short term prisoner is going to get home from prison on the day that they are released or how much halfway house time they received.
Of more significance is the security level the prisoners are incarcerated within. Generally speaking, the higher the security level, the more important the pecking order. At maximum security federal prisons (called either "United States Penitentiaries" or "USPs") this pecking order determines where prisoners sit at chow (if they are even allowed to sit at a table by their fellow prisoners), where they cell, where on the recreation yard they workout or hangout, and every other component of prison life. Those who belong to stronger or more revered cars often have an easier prison experience, and those who are alone (called "independents") or who belong to a weirdo car tend to have a more challenging time.
The lower the security level, the less the pecking order and prison politics comes into play. Prisoners incarcerated at the low security and minimum security levels don't really have to worry about being assaulted for their characteristics, their associations, or their crime. On the other hand, those at the medium security and maximum security levels do. Much of this security level discussion is outside of the individual prisoner's control since it is the prison administration, not the individual prisoner, who scores and designates a prisoner to a particular security level.
Convict Stratification: A Fluid and Evolving Discipline
Clearly there are a number of components which contribute to the stratification system employed in American prisons. These various components all add together into a fluid mental equation which results in a snapshot -- or a belief -- of what a fellow prisoner stands for and their social value in the prison context. This estimation of social value is a constantly evolving belief, but one which is shared by the prison population as a whole. In a word, the prisoner's reputation is what is at stake here, something hard to earn, and easy to lose. And in the prison context, this can be the difference between a life of comfort and a life of abject torture and fear.
The Uphill Battle to Make Prison Safer for Trans Women
I am a huge supporter of the struggles of trans gender people in prison, especially after a recent incident with a prisoner in Virginia.
That's why I was so happy to contribute this article in Vice:
http://www.vice.com/read/the-uphill-b...
If you have a chance to read it we highly recommend it.
That's why I was so happy to contribute this article in Vice:
http://www.vice.com/read/the-uphill-b...
If you have a chance to read it we highly recommend it.
College for Convicts Book receives Award
Petersburg, VA - Eric Hoffer was a moral and social philosopher who was lauded as one of America’s free thinking writers and a champion for the underclass of working men. It’s interesting that a writer who is currently behind bars in FCI Petersburg has won an Eric Hoffer award- since his freethinking thoughts can be tough to get out of the prison system.
College for Convicts- The case for Higher Education in American Prisons published by McFarland & Company was awarded the Montaigne Medal for most thought provoking book. His book advocates that while it may seem expensive to educate prisoners, the resulting drop in recidivism is worthwhile.
“It’s quite an honor for my book to receive the Montaigne Medal- given that it was named after Michel De Montaigne who was passionate about education and the way it was taught. He believed in individualized learning so that everyone could benefit. That’s exactly what I hope to convey in my book,” says Zoukis.
"Incarcerated author Zoukis gives excellent examples to demonstrate that the US would benefit from higher education for inmates by preparing them for life after prison. The author cites statistics showing prisoners with higher education have a much lower recidivism rate, reducing prison overcrowding and saving society billions. The book ends with important appendixes on the FBP's position, on becoming pen pals with prisoners, funding, free books, & more. A strongly suggested purchase. Highly recommended. All public & academic levels/libraries." --M. G. Meacham, Valdosta State University
Zoukis is a prison rights advocate who won the 2011 PEN American Center Prison Writing Award for two works, and is a member of the American Bar Association, National Writers Union, and the American Civil Liberties Union. He contributes to the Huffington Post, Prison Legal News, and Blog Critics
To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist, 604-366-7846, rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com
College for Convicts- The case for Higher Education in American Prisons published by McFarland & Company was awarded the Montaigne Medal for most thought provoking book. His book advocates that while it may seem expensive to educate prisoners, the resulting drop in recidivism is worthwhile.
“It’s quite an honor for my book to receive the Montaigne Medal- given that it was named after Michel De Montaigne who was passionate about education and the way it was taught. He believed in individualized learning so that everyone could benefit. That’s exactly what I hope to convey in my book,” says Zoukis.
"Incarcerated author Zoukis gives excellent examples to demonstrate that the US would benefit from higher education for inmates by preparing them for life after prison. The author cites statistics showing prisoners with higher education have a much lower recidivism rate, reducing prison overcrowding and saving society billions. The book ends with important appendixes on the FBP's position, on becoming pen pals with prisoners, funding, free books, & more. A strongly suggested purchase. Highly recommended. All public & academic levels/libraries." --M. G. Meacham, Valdosta State University
Zoukis is a prison rights advocate who won the 2011 PEN American Center Prison Writing Award for two works, and is a member of the American Bar Association, National Writers Union, and the American Civil Liberties Union. He contributes to the Huffington Post, Prison Legal News, and Blog Critics
To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist, 604-366-7846, rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com
Mental illness and slow death by solitary confinement
On June 7th, the American prison system took another life. Kalief Browder had not been confined behind the walls of a prison for several months, but the system remains largely responsible for his death nonetheless. On that Saturday afternoon, Kalief’s mother made the discovery that no parent should have to endure: he had hanged himself outside the family home. It would be easy to write this story off as being just one of a “troubled youth,” but it would be a tremendous disservice to his memory were we not to make clear that our entire judicial system set the stage for this tragedy.
Browder was a child of just 16 when he was arrested for robbery and imprisoned at the notoriously violent RNDC at Rikers prison. There he languished for nearly three years, waiting for a trial that never took place. But worse than that, the bulk of his time there was spent in solitary confinement; the practice of confinement for minor issues (or for no reason at all) is a practice that in recent years has been growing in popularity across New York’s jails. The moratorium on isolation for those under 21 years of age came too late for Kalief. There he endured abuse at the hands of prison staff, the withholding of food, and the mental ravages that come with complete isolation from the world. Ultimately, he attempted suicide. The response of the facility speaks to the heart of the problem: he was sent to the prison clinic, then returned to solitary without being provided with treatment for serious mental health concerns. His case was later dismissed, but the damage had been done.
Bowder had done much to better himself both prior to and after his release, to put the past behind him, but experiences like his are not easily swept under the rug. He was released from prison a changed man, and he attempted suicide multiple times; his mental health remained fragile up to his death this week.
A full account of Browder’s ordeals can be read here. New Yorker writer Jennifer Gonnerman became close with Browder, documenting the abuses mete upon him by prison staff and remaining close with him upon his release. He became a cause celèbre for many, and it seemed to all intents and purposes that his life was on the right track. But what is difficult to convey is the emotional toll that solitary confinement takes on a human being. It’s an experience I wish I could say I couldn’t empathize with, but I have been twice confined to solitary for my writing. Nothing can prepare you for that kind of isolation and the desperation it engenders in even the most stable mind. For those with existing mental health issues, confinement can literally be deadly.
or three years, a teenager’s medical needs were neglected and he was tortured by a system entrusted with his care—and it’s a problem that is endemic to the system. The mentally ill are disproportionately represented amongst the incarcerated; each year, 2 million men and women with mental illnesses are jailed, accounting for nearly two-thirds of women and half of men incarcerated. In its current state, the American prison system is incapable of adequately meeting the mental health needs of its inmates.
The system is that is charged with the treatment and housing of the mentally ill, is one that is barely capable of addressing even the most basic of medical issues facing prisoners. And our penchant for simply throwing more and more people into our prisons is only exacerbating the problem. They are not referred to community-based organizations which may assist them, or treatment facilities that can provide critical medications—they are shuffled away into our already over-stuffed prisons and jails.
The Stepping Up Initiative is currently engaged in the issue and seeking to develop new approaches to keeping the mentally ill out of the prison system, and helping to break the cycle of those who are already in it. I encourage you to take a moment both to read Kalief’s story, and to see how you can help change a broken a system that is killing our young men and women.
Browder was a child of just 16 when he was arrested for robbery and imprisoned at the notoriously violent RNDC at Rikers prison. There he languished for nearly three years, waiting for a trial that never took place. But worse than that, the bulk of his time there was spent in solitary confinement; the practice of confinement for minor issues (or for no reason at all) is a practice that in recent years has been growing in popularity across New York’s jails. The moratorium on isolation for those under 21 years of age came too late for Kalief. There he endured abuse at the hands of prison staff, the withholding of food, and the mental ravages that come with complete isolation from the world. Ultimately, he attempted suicide. The response of the facility speaks to the heart of the problem: he was sent to the prison clinic, then returned to solitary without being provided with treatment for serious mental health concerns. His case was later dismissed, but the damage had been done.
Bowder had done much to better himself both prior to and after his release, to put the past behind him, but experiences like his are not easily swept under the rug. He was released from prison a changed man, and he attempted suicide multiple times; his mental health remained fragile up to his death this week.
A full account of Browder’s ordeals can be read here. New Yorker writer Jennifer Gonnerman became close with Browder, documenting the abuses mete upon him by prison staff and remaining close with him upon his release. He became a cause celèbre for many, and it seemed to all intents and purposes that his life was on the right track. But what is difficult to convey is the emotional toll that solitary confinement takes on a human being. It’s an experience I wish I could say I couldn’t empathize with, but I have been twice confined to solitary for my writing. Nothing can prepare you for that kind of isolation and the desperation it engenders in even the most stable mind. For those with existing mental health issues, confinement can literally be deadly.
or three years, a teenager’s medical needs were neglected and he was tortured by a system entrusted with his care—and it’s a problem that is endemic to the system. The mentally ill are disproportionately represented amongst the incarcerated; each year, 2 million men and women with mental illnesses are jailed, accounting for nearly two-thirds of women and half of men incarcerated. In its current state, the American prison system is incapable of adequately meeting the mental health needs of its inmates.
The system is that is charged with the treatment and housing of the mentally ill, is one that is barely capable of addressing even the most basic of medical issues facing prisoners. And our penchant for simply throwing more and more people into our prisons is only exacerbating the problem. They are not referred to community-based organizations which may assist them, or treatment facilities that can provide critical medications—they are shuffled away into our already over-stuffed prisons and jails.
The Stepping Up Initiative is currently engaged in the issue and seeking to develop new approaches to keeping the mentally ill out of the prison system, and helping to break the cycle of those who are already in it. I encourage you to take a moment both to read Kalief’s story, and to see how you can help change a broken a system that is killing our young men and women.
What 'The Mandela Rules' Mean for American Prisons
For 55 years, the international community has used the "Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners" as a guideline to structuring their criminal justice and penal systems. The document had never been amended (aside from one additional rule in 1977), let alone revised, until this year. On May 22nd, the United Nations ushered in a new set of standards, named after one of the most globally recognized figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. The resolution in favour of adopting the text of "The Mandela Rules" is expected to be presented to the UN General Assembly later this year.
It represents dramatic expansion of the rules governing our prisons, most poignant of which is the creation of a framework that recognizes human rights doctrines as critical to structuring our penal system. It's an incredibly important development and one I, and other advocates for prisoners' rights; are extremely happy to see; it represents a fundamental shift in how we perceive the role of incarceration in society.
Yet the news of this landmark event barely hit the media's radar when it passed a few weeks ago. There has been no official statement from the Office of the President or other significant political representatives. So why is that? Could it be that there is a hint of irony to the United States' to the few self-congratulatory approbations that appeared? Because while the US is touting the importance of this document in its provision of technical assistance to partner countries, there are serious questions as to whether we are adhering to either these rules, or the prior document. And by failing to even inform the public of their existence--let alone our support of them--I believe we are sending a clear message to the world: "These principles apply only when it suits our interests."
Whereas the previous document provided relatively vague guidelines, The Mandela Rules are far more precise, including exact instructions for acceptable actions in a variety of penal areas--areas in which we have been incredibly remiss.
Examination of the revised document's newest "Basic Rules" reveals several problematic areas for America's current criminal justice system:
• The inherent dignity and value of inmates as human beings shall be respected.
• Self-perceived gender shall be logged upon admission.
• Protection from degrading or inhumane treatment or punishment.
• The primary purposes of imprisonment are to protect society from crime and reduce recidivism.
• Reasonable accommodations of physical, mental, and other disabilities shall be made.
• Solitary confinement beyond 15 days is prohibited; confinement is only as a last resort and prohibited for prisoners with mental or physical disabilities.
• Prisoners have the right to the same standards of care available in the community, free of charge and without discrimination based on legal status.
• Health services should be co-ordinated with public health agencies, including ensuring continuity of care as relates to HIV, drug dependence, and tuberculosis.
• An interdisciplinary health team which includes expertise in psychology and psychiatry, and a dentist, shall be available.
• Clinical decisions may not be over-ruled by non-medical staff.
• Physicians or a public health body will regularly inspect food.
• Mental illnesses must be taken into account prior to disciplinary actions.
• Prisoners accused of offences must be given adequate resources to prepare their defence.
• Disciplinary measures may not include prohibition of family contact beyond a limited time period.
In the years since I began my incarceration, I have witnessed rampant violations of all of these rules at just a couple facilities, and my examination of the document has only just begun. By advocating for the implementation of these rules, should not we, as a nation, demonstrate at least minimal commitment to the values and principles we're espousing?
Penal Reform International has expressed its enthusiasm at assisting jurisdictions across the world in implementing these rules. So it is hoped that our criminal justice system will readily ask for such assistance, rather than focusing on how other nations will integrate the rules into their systems.
So when will the United States' commitment to these values and principles be demonstrated? The Principles, like many important UN conventions, are not legally binding, so of course the US is not legally required to ensure compliance within its borders. But one would hope that we would demonstrate at least a moral conviction to these standards while we admonish other states for not doing so.
Certain attendees at the UN Meetings of the Crime Commission have praised the role the US played at the meetings, and certainly there's little question of the importance of our presence there. Luis E. Arreaga, the US Prinicipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement proclaimed the US' support of the rules. Yet should we have to congratulate our representatives for agreeing that humans--including those incarcerated--be treated as such?
It represents dramatic expansion of the rules governing our prisons, most poignant of which is the creation of a framework that recognizes human rights doctrines as critical to structuring our penal system. It's an incredibly important development and one I, and other advocates for prisoners' rights; are extremely happy to see; it represents a fundamental shift in how we perceive the role of incarceration in society.
Yet the news of this landmark event barely hit the media's radar when it passed a few weeks ago. There has been no official statement from the Office of the President or other significant political representatives. So why is that? Could it be that there is a hint of irony to the United States' to the few self-congratulatory approbations that appeared? Because while the US is touting the importance of this document in its provision of technical assistance to partner countries, there are serious questions as to whether we are adhering to either these rules, or the prior document. And by failing to even inform the public of their existence--let alone our support of them--I believe we are sending a clear message to the world: "These principles apply only when it suits our interests."
Whereas the previous document provided relatively vague guidelines, The Mandela Rules are far more precise, including exact instructions for acceptable actions in a variety of penal areas--areas in which we have been incredibly remiss.
Examination of the revised document's newest "Basic Rules" reveals several problematic areas for America's current criminal justice system:
• The inherent dignity and value of inmates as human beings shall be respected.
• Self-perceived gender shall be logged upon admission.
• Protection from degrading or inhumane treatment or punishment.
• The primary purposes of imprisonment are to protect society from crime and reduce recidivism.
• Reasonable accommodations of physical, mental, and other disabilities shall be made.
• Solitary confinement beyond 15 days is prohibited; confinement is only as a last resort and prohibited for prisoners with mental or physical disabilities.
• Prisoners have the right to the same standards of care available in the community, free of charge and without discrimination based on legal status.
• Health services should be co-ordinated with public health agencies, including ensuring continuity of care as relates to HIV, drug dependence, and tuberculosis.
• An interdisciplinary health team which includes expertise in psychology and psychiatry, and a dentist, shall be available.
• Clinical decisions may not be over-ruled by non-medical staff.
• Physicians or a public health body will regularly inspect food.
• Mental illnesses must be taken into account prior to disciplinary actions.
• Prisoners accused of offences must be given adequate resources to prepare their defence.
• Disciplinary measures may not include prohibition of family contact beyond a limited time period.
In the years since I began my incarceration, I have witnessed rampant violations of all of these rules at just a couple facilities, and my examination of the document has only just begun. By advocating for the implementation of these rules, should not we, as a nation, demonstrate at least minimal commitment to the values and principles we're espousing?
Penal Reform International has expressed its enthusiasm at assisting jurisdictions across the world in implementing these rules. So it is hoped that our criminal justice system will readily ask for such assistance, rather than focusing on how other nations will integrate the rules into their systems.
So when will the United States' commitment to these values and principles be demonstrated? The Principles, like many important UN conventions, are not legally binding, so of course the US is not legally required to ensure compliance within its borders. But one would hope that we would demonstrate at least a moral conviction to these standards while we admonish other states for not doing so.
Certain attendees at the UN Meetings of the Crime Commission have praised the role the US played at the meetings, and certainly there's little question of the importance of our presence there. Luis E. Arreaga, the US Prinicipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement proclaimed the US' support of the rules. Yet should we have to congratulate our representatives for agreeing that humans--including those incarcerated--be treated as such?
Columbia University just says “No” to investing in CCA's prison culture
In the years and months since I’ve been writing about prison conditions across the United States, the insidious creep of privatization into our justice system has transformed into an all-out takeover. The prison-industrial complex has now grown into a $74 billion industry that spans across a broad spectrum of areas. Students at Columbia University have sought to provide a solution to part of the problem through its adoption of a divestment policy geared specifically at the prison-industrial complex.
Divestment, the process of ridding oneself of investments that run counter to one’s ethical beliefs in an effort to force policy change, is a form of protest that has been gaining traction all over the world. This increased engagement is often due in large part to social media and the internet—as individuals are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their investment behaviours on social and environmental well-being.
Sustained pressure over the last year or so from the student organization Columbia Prison Divest led the university to strike an advisory committee on the matter. The end results, announced just this week, will see them divesting their $9.2 billion endowment of stocks from the British-based G4S and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), and banning future investment in any private prison corporations.
Prison Divest and Columbia University (along with several other well-known post-secondary institutions) have recognized that a privately-run prison system is fundamentally incompatible with the values of rehabilitation and facilitation of re-entry into the community. Their entire reason for being depends on ensuring high prison return rates in order to satisfy its shareholders, and CCA is a case in point.
CCA is the largest for-profit prison company in the nation. Its recent claims of being committed to improving prisoner re-entry are belied by its thirty-year track record that includes increased recidivism, increased violence, increased abuse, all going hand-in-hand with increased profits. Companies charged with the care and rehabilitation of the incarcerated are given free run with our inmates, with little to no public accountability.
As we've noted elsewhere, facilities run by CCA and similar private prison companies have not improved re-incarceration rates, and likely hinder inmate rehabilitation through a variety of policy failures. Thus their modus operandi seems to have more to do with “getting them coming and going” rather than seeing them successful re-enter society. Indeed, their own market prospectus’ have highlighted the lucrative nature of the industry, precisely because of the country’s high rates of recidivism. It's hardly cynical to question why CCA would suddenly be committed to eliminating the very source of their profitability.
Some critics argue that Columbia’s divestment represents a mere drop in the profit bucket of these corporations, and that may be true. But as our own Alex Friedmann points out, it serves an important educative role that sheds light on the role these companies play in our penal system and who ultimately benefits from their involvement; as with any social action, momentum is key. And more importantly, it sends a message to private entities of what we, as investors, consider to be acceptable policies, and that there will be impacts on their bottom line from divestment—whether direct or indirect.
The social market has spoken: private industry has no role in our criminal justice system.
Divestment, the process of ridding oneself of investments that run counter to one’s ethical beliefs in an effort to force policy change, is a form of protest that has been gaining traction all over the world. This increased engagement is often due in large part to social media and the internet—as individuals are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their investment behaviours on social and environmental well-being.
Sustained pressure over the last year or so from the student organization Columbia Prison Divest led the university to strike an advisory committee on the matter. The end results, announced just this week, will see them divesting their $9.2 billion endowment of stocks from the British-based G4S and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), and banning future investment in any private prison corporations.
Prison Divest and Columbia University (along with several other well-known post-secondary institutions) have recognized that a privately-run prison system is fundamentally incompatible with the values of rehabilitation and facilitation of re-entry into the community. Their entire reason for being depends on ensuring high prison return rates in order to satisfy its shareholders, and CCA is a case in point.
CCA is the largest for-profit prison company in the nation. Its recent claims of being committed to improving prisoner re-entry are belied by its thirty-year track record that includes increased recidivism, increased violence, increased abuse, all going hand-in-hand with increased profits. Companies charged with the care and rehabilitation of the incarcerated are given free run with our inmates, with little to no public accountability.
As we've noted elsewhere, facilities run by CCA and similar private prison companies have not improved re-incarceration rates, and likely hinder inmate rehabilitation through a variety of policy failures. Thus their modus operandi seems to have more to do with “getting them coming and going” rather than seeing them successful re-enter society. Indeed, their own market prospectus’ have highlighted the lucrative nature of the industry, precisely because of the country’s high rates of recidivism. It's hardly cynical to question why CCA would suddenly be committed to eliminating the very source of their profitability.
Some critics argue that Columbia’s divestment represents a mere drop in the profit bucket of these corporations, and that may be true. But as our own Alex Friedmann points out, it serves an important educative role that sheds light on the role these companies play in our penal system and who ultimately benefits from their involvement; as with any social action, momentum is key. And more importantly, it sends a message to private entities of what we, as investors, consider to be acceptable policies, and that there will be impacts on their bottom line from divestment—whether direct or indirect.
The social market has spoken: private industry has no role in our criminal justice system.
Are Children of Prisoners Doomed to Make the Same Mistakes?
There are almost 2 million children of prisoners, at an average age of eight years, in our country. Two million small citizens, many of whom have had difficult lives even before their parent's incarceration, now suffer trauma, anxiety, guilty, shame, fear, sadness, withdrawal, and low self-esteem. How are they fairing?
Not much is known, except that imprisoned parents often mean that children go to foster care and become at high risk for crime, so the problem is perpetuated from one generation to the next. Many perform poorly in school and tend toward (1) drugs, alcohol, and aggression. Contact with their incarcerated parent(s) is difficult and rare. Distance and visitation restrictions tend to discourage, not encourage, parent-child relationships. We do know that very little if anything is being done for them in our schools, communities, or prison systems. These children are not recognized as a group by any state agency or department.
If we continue to neglect the education and rehabilitation and parenting skills of their parents, we can be sure most of these children will follow in their parents' footsteps and will one day replace their parents in prisons. The system creates a new generation destined for the fate of its parents.
The picture changes radically, however, if we invest in learning for their incarcerated parents. Because many of them will be the first in their families (or even in their communities) to have earned a college degree, they will become role models who encourage their children to pursue, despite all odds, a higher education. One prisoner named Tanya said (2). "Mv daughter is proud of me and it gives her incentive to want to go [to college]... she asked me if she had to go to college if she didn't want to. My response was no, she didn't have to if she didn't want. Then I sent her my grades with a little note that said, 'Not bad for a 30 year old Mom, huh?' When I spoke with her after that she said, if her mother could do it so could she."
Educated ex-prisoners who have experienced the personal transformation that comes with an education can model positive behaviors (3) and aspire to a different kind of future for their families and children. They are almost always determined that their children be educated, too.
Said Commissioner Brian Fischer of the NY State Department of Correctional Services, "Correctional education (4) provides far more than reduced recidivism, far more than huge economic savings for society. It provides a transformation in the individual which no other program can. And those who experience that transformation extend that education to their own children. In that way, correctional education provides safety and security to our communities not just now, but for generations to come!"
The inevitable result of a modest investment to educate prisoners? We would reduce the likelihood that the children of criminals will break the law and reduce the now growing population of prisoners in our nation. Our criminal population would decrease more and more with every generation.
Research clearly indicates that the best predictor of a child's educational success is the educational attainment of his or her parents. Children of educated individuals do much better in school and have higher educational aspirations than others. Interviews with early adolescent children revealed their pride in their parents' pursuit of college. For some, their incarcerated parents are role models for perseverance, hard work, and a vision of possibility. For others, the pride in their prisoner-parent's accomplishments was tinged with understanding that academic success may not have been possible had their parent not gone to prison.
If, indeed, prison becomes a place for intellectual, emotional, and social growth which, for these people, would not have been experienced on the outside, wouldn't prisoners and all of society as a whole be better off?
Citations:
1 Richard J. Coley and Paul E. Barton, " Locked Up and Locked out: An Ecuational Perspective on the U.S. Prison Population," Educational Testing Service ( 2006)
2 Michelle Fine, M.E. Torre, I.Bowen, K. Boudin, D.Hylton, J. Clark, M. Martinez, R.A. Roberts, P.Smart, and D. Upegui, with the New York State Department of Correctional services, "Changing Minds: The Impact of College in a Maximum-Security Prison: Effects on Women in Prison, the Prison Environment, Reincarceration Rates and Post-Release Outcomes," City university of New York (2001)
3 John Linton, " U.S. Department of Education Update," The Journal of Correctional Education, Vol. 63, no.2 (September 2012)
4 Brazzell, Crayton, Lindahl, Mukamal, and Solomon, "From the Classroom to the Community: Exploring the Role of Education During Incarceration and Re--entry," The Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice ( 2009)
Not much is known, except that imprisoned parents often mean that children go to foster care and become at high risk for crime, so the problem is perpetuated from one generation to the next. Many perform poorly in school and tend toward (1) drugs, alcohol, and aggression. Contact with their incarcerated parent(s) is difficult and rare. Distance and visitation restrictions tend to discourage, not encourage, parent-child relationships. We do know that very little if anything is being done for them in our schools, communities, or prison systems. These children are not recognized as a group by any state agency or department.
If we continue to neglect the education and rehabilitation and parenting skills of their parents, we can be sure most of these children will follow in their parents' footsteps and will one day replace their parents in prisons. The system creates a new generation destined for the fate of its parents.
The picture changes radically, however, if we invest in learning for their incarcerated parents. Because many of them will be the first in their families (or even in their communities) to have earned a college degree, they will become role models who encourage their children to pursue, despite all odds, a higher education. One prisoner named Tanya said (2). "Mv daughter is proud of me and it gives her incentive to want to go [to college]... she asked me if she had to go to college if she didn't want to. My response was no, she didn't have to if she didn't want. Then I sent her my grades with a little note that said, 'Not bad for a 30 year old Mom, huh?' When I spoke with her after that she said, if her mother could do it so could she."
Educated ex-prisoners who have experienced the personal transformation that comes with an education can model positive behaviors (3) and aspire to a different kind of future for their families and children. They are almost always determined that their children be educated, too.
Said Commissioner Brian Fischer of the NY State Department of Correctional Services, "Correctional education (4) provides far more than reduced recidivism, far more than huge economic savings for society. It provides a transformation in the individual which no other program can. And those who experience that transformation extend that education to their own children. In that way, correctional education provides safety and security to our communities not just now, but for generations to come!"
The inevitable result of a modest investment to educate prisoners? We would reduce the likelihood that the children of criminals will break the law and reduce the now growing population of prisoners in our nation. Our criminal population would decrease more and more with every generation.
Research clearly indicates that the best predictor of a child's educational success is the educational attainment of his or her parents. Children of educated individuals do much better in school and have higher educational aspirations than others. Interviews with early adolescent children revealed their pride in their parents' pursuit of college. For some, their incarcerated parents are role models for perseverance, hard work, and a vision of possibility. For others, the pride in their prisoner-parent's accomplishments was tinged with understanding that academic success may not have been possible had their parent not gone to prison.
If, indeed, prison becomes a place for intellectual, emotional, and social growth which, for these people, would not have been experienced on the outside, wouldn't prisoners and all of society as a whole be better off?
Citations:
1 Richard J. Coley and Paul E. Barton, " Locked Up and Locked out: An Ecuational Perspective on the U.S. Prison Population," Educational Testing Service ( 2006)
2 Michelle Fine, M.E. Torre, I.Bowen, K. Boudin, D.Hylton, J. Clark, M. Martinez, R.A. Roberts, P.Smart, and D. Upegui, with the New York State Department of Correctional services, "Changing Minds: The Impact of College in a Maximum-Security Prison: Effects on Women in Prison, the Prison Environment, Reincarceration Rates and Post-Release Outcomes," City university of New York (2001)
3 John Linton, " U.S. Department of Education Update," The Journal of Correctional Education, Vol. 63, no.2 (September 2012)
4 Brazzell, Crayton, Lindahl, Mukamal, and Solomon, "From the Classroom to the Community: Exploring the Role of Education During Incarceration and Re--entry," The Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice ( 2009)
The surprising new source of prison education advocacy
Prison education advocacy is coming from an unlikely country: Lebanon.
The country is generally only on America’s radar for its assistance in the conflict against ISIL and a fractured and complex internal political state. But despite the beleaguered state of the nation at the moment, the Minister has seen fit to prioritize the rehabilitation of prison populations.
This past week, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced his desire to see complete educational facilities integrated into the nation’s prisons. His comments came on the heels of a recent visit to a woman’s prison where he met women with women in the process of taking the first ever Life Sciences Baccalaureate exam hosted inside a prison. The visit formed part of a widespread initiative by the Minister to examine the state of education across the country.
Like so many of us involved in prison education, Bou Saab has realized how important education is to providing hope to inmates, and fostering their will to make a better life for themselves and their communities upon release. He noted that he would be discussing the building of education facilities within Lebanese prisons with the Minister of the Interior.
If a country as mired in conflict and political gridlock, with one of the most infamous prison systems in the world, can appreciate the role that prison education plays in contributing to a strong social and economic fabric, and prioritize it accordingly, what’s our excuse?
The country is generally only on America’s radar for its assistance in the conflict against ISIL and a fractured and complex internal political state. But despite the beleaguered state of the nation at the moment, the Minister has seen fit to prioritize the rehabilitation of prison populations.
This past week, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced his desire to see complete educational facilities integrated into the nation’s prisons. His comments came on the heels of a recent visit to a woman’s prison where he met women with women in the process of taking the first ever Life Sciences Baccalaureate exam hosted inside a prison. The visit formed part of a widespread initiative by the Minister to examine the state of education across the country.
Like so many of us involved in prison education, Bou Saab has realized how important education is to providing hope to inmates, and fostering their will to make a better life for themselves and their communities upon release. He noted that he would be discussing the building of education facilities within Lebanese prisons with the Minister of the Interior.
If a country as mired in conflict and political gridlock, with one of the most infamous prison systems in the world, can appreciate the role that prison education plays in contributing to a strong social and economic fabric, and prioritize it accordingly, what’s our excuse?
