Prison education: second chance to absorb life skills

Press, 20 December 1988, Page 13

Prison education: second chance to absorb life skills

By

JENNY LONG

Photographs by ANNETTE DEW

“There but for the grace of God.”

Jessie Thompson, the education officer at Christchurch Women’s and Rolleston prisons, says people in prison are “like you and me.” “They could be your kids or mine.”

Rolleston has 125 male inmates, and Christchurch Women’s caters for up to 56 inmates. With present overcrowding, some men are now held in a separate wing of Christchurch Women’s. Jessie says there is no typical inmate, but many prisoners do come from lower socio-economic backgrounds or lack a decent education.

As education officer, she sees all inmates soon after they arrive to learn a bit about them and any interests they might want to develop. Education programmes inmates ask for range from remedial English and mathematics to university or technical correspondence courses. Alongside the academic ones are courses covering budgeting, parenting, anger management and a range of other life skills.

Jessie sees the life skills as possibly more important than the academic opportunities.

“If you haven’t got the life skills, you can’t cope out there.” She says a District Court judge has praised the prison’s skills courses. Those prisoners who have taken them are much better able to talk with others and express themselves clearly. Jessie has been education officer at the two prisons for nearly two years after many years as a primary teacher, including country and special class work.

She says many people cannot countenance the idea of working in a prison, or even making occasional visits to inmates. “It’s a foreign environment.” Prison education officers have to have “a bit of steel in them, to be able to strike a balance between being kind and helpful and being manipulated,” she says.

“I have had to make it quite clear to inmates that I won’t get involved in anything illegal. “The prison exists to provide a secure environment, and that must not be threatened.”

Gesturing to the bunch of keys in her hip holster, Jessie says it is only the keys, which let you in and out of every wing, which make the prison very different from working in a school.

Prison inmates must work at laundry, garden or cleaning duties. They are paid about 50 cents a day. Those inmates taking education courses are allowed to spend up to 2*4 days in the week doing lessons or study, or in skills groups.

The education wing at Christchurch Women’s is equipped with a library, a classroom and some smaller rooms where inmates can study, or work with a tutor on remedial courses.

Inmates wanting to take advantage of their second-chance education need all the help they can get, Jessie says. “It’s difficult to settle to education in prison.”

Some inmates will enter prison on remand first. Before their sentencing, they will not know the length of term they face. Other inmates may have had their trial and sentence, but be facing the prospect of an appeal. While inmates do not have to take any courses, most will make an effort to do something, Jessie says. Some study because they want to gain qualifications to help with a job after release. Others realise that effort made toward study looks better on their records t 'V

when the District Prison Board is considering their release. One Rolleston inmate keen to stop smoking found seven other like-minded inmates and asked Jessie to organise a course.

Competition was intense between the Rolleston group and another group of businessmen taking the course “on the out-

side” led by the same Health Department tutor. Jessie recalls with real delight that the eight male inmates did incredibly well. Her job includes organising all correspondence courses for inmates taking school, university or technical courses. She also liaises with tutors who take classes such as cooking or typing,

and the life skills courses. Jessie works full-time, dividing her work between the two prisons. She has been joined by two permanent part-timers who help with remedial work and the wide range of correspondence courses.

The prisons do not have enough education officers to respond quickly and fully to all

inmates’ needs, Jessie says. One inmate stops Jessie in a corridor at Rolleston, saying that it is three weeks since he put in his request to attend school, and he has not had an answer. Jessie explains there are “too many naughty boys, like you, and not enough teachers,” but is able to tell him that a tutor for his e.s.l. (English as a second language) lessons has been found and he will start the next week. As education officer, she is a member of two prison committees which look at each inmate’s progress and consider matters such as their suitability for home leave or release to work. As well as other prison officers, a chaplain is also a member of these committees. Probation officers and psychologists also take part at times. Jessie says it is very important for the education officer to have a voice on the team. Inmates may behave very differently with the education officer and other specialist staff than with other officers whom they see more as disciplinarians. Male inmates, on the whole, are easier than females to deal with, Jessie says. “If one (of the men) is in trouble, he’s left to sort it out for himself. “The others don’t get involved, and there isn’t the same discussion.” It’s important for the Rolleston inmates to learn how to get along with women in an ordinary, non-

threatening way, Jessie says. Rolleston now has some female prison officers. Also Jessie finds that by leaving her office door open during lunch hours, the men will drop by just for a chat. Sometimes, one will ask about a girl-friend, and whether he should write a letter. Many of the men are embarrassed about letter writing, because of the standard of their spelling or handwriting, Jessie says. Generally, the women inmates have a much higher standard of basic literacy. Remedial courses, particularly in English, are in high demand. Many Rolleston inmates aim to have their heavy transport licences by the time they are released. Jessie will often take them out in the truck, round the prison farm. “I’ve never had the slightest trouble with any of them. “You don’t think ‘He’s a murderer.’ It’s not on his mind either — he’s concentrating for all he’s worth on how to drive the truck. “It’s the same old story. They need to be motivated, and interested in what they are doing.” Many former inmates keep in touch with Jessie Thompson. One girl, a talented artist, completed her fine arts bursary in prison. Once released, she worked in the arts field, then vent to Australia and was married. Her legacy to the prison is a beautifully painted and colourful mural on the wall of the exercise yard. Another former inmate, once sentenced for arson, writes to Jessie at Christmas, and whenever she fears she may be put back inside.