PRISONERS AS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3133, 4 September 1922, Page 8

PRISONERS AS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

In Wisconsin penitentiary eighty-four prisoners are taking the regular college courises l offered by the University of Wisconsin, and are proving more capable students than the regular college men and women. These prisoners ire taking the extension division course offered bv the University, whose records rate all tlie eighty-four as verv good scholars. Most, of them have attained "excellent" in every subject, while twenty-eight had completed the course when'the report from which this information is gleaned. There are some 8000 free men and women students at the University, and most of these were far below the prisoners in their marks. The study period of the convicts is the three-hour interim between the end of the day's toil in the prison twine plant and 1 the big going in the "cell hole," which gives them 10 minutes to doff their den ion uniforms before lights go out. The heads of the University extension division assign their isolation as the reason for the extraordinary record set by the prisoners. Studying is a recreation avS well r.« work for them, and above ail it holds the golden promise of leading to a new life. The main requisite for a student is a will to learn. Once the prisoner has evidenced his desire in that line there is m>' more difficulty, and with few exceptions the applications make model students. So tense is the interest evidenced by the convicts that eorae whoso terms expired before their course was completed continued through other extension branches after they had regained their liberty.