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Jim Schechter, the executive director, stated that the overall goal of the organization is to be able to provide an education for inmates no matter what their records are, no matter how long they will be incarcerated, whether it is for a short time or a lifetime. Cornell University Prison project wants to be able to assist the students, so that they can have a set of skills and the ability to be productive and engaged citizens, whether they are in prison or out in the community. To be able to see the change that happens in their lives because of education that they receive is what keeps to volunteers committed to teaching and volunteering their time. Jim states that when the students get an education he sees a change in the inmate’s perspective on life by allowing the inmates to have self-autonomy and hope for the
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The prisons that they teach at are Auburn Correctional Facility, which is a maximum security prison and Cayuga Correctional Facility, which is a medium security facility. The Cornell Prison program started, as a response to the government cutting off funding for prisoners to be able to have a free education. The prison officials saw that there was a decrease in recidivism by 60%, when the prisoners were participating in an education program. When the laws changed, a few professors from Cornell University agreed to teach in the prisons, on a volunteer basis to allow students to receive college credit. Through the years, the program has grown into what it has become today (Cornell Prison Education Project, 2009). Since Cornell has had a long lasting relationship with the two prisons, they have been accepted and widely embraced by the prison officials. The reason is that the prison officials see that it makes a difference in helping to the inmate to make a better decision and to less likely to re-offend while they were incarcerated (J. Schechter, Personal Communication, February 15, 2012). Cornell saw a need in the two different prisons and wanted to have a program that offered incarcerated men a free two year program. Although the Cornell University has been at the prisons since 1995, it was 2009 when the program received a grant from the Sunshine Lady Foundation and grants from the provost at the University. With those grants, the staff were able to be able to organize the program to be able to offer the two year degree by partnering with Cayuga Community College. Faculty, doctoral students, and graduate students are eligible to teach classes that help to meet the requirements for an associate’s degree. Undergraduates are able to tutor and serve as teaching assistants in the classes. All people who are involved in teaching and
The prisons that they teach at are Auburn Correctional Facility, which is a maximum security prison and Cayuga Correctional Facility, which is a medium security facility. The Cornell Prison program started, as a response to the government cutting off funding for prisoners to be able to have a free education. The prison officials saw that there was a decrease in recidivism by 60%, when the prisoners were participating in an education program. When the laws changed, a few professors from Cornell University agreed to teach in the prisons, on a volunteer basis to allow students to receive college credit. Through the years, the program has grown into what it has become today (Cornell Prison Education Project, 2009). Since Cornell has had a long lasting relationship with the two prisons, they have been accepted and widely embraced by the prison officials. The reason is that the prison officials see that it makes a difference in helping to the inmate to make a better decision and to less likely to re-offend while they were incarcerated (J. Schechter, Personal Communication, February 15, 2012). Cornell saw a need in the two different prisons and wanted to have a program that offered incarcerated men a free two year program. Although the Cornell University has been at the prisons since 1995, it was 2009 when the program received a grant from the Sunshine Lady Foundation and grants from the provost at the University. With those grants, the staff were able to be able to organize the program to be able to offer the two year degree by partnering with Cayuga Community College. Faculty, doctoral students, and graduate students are eligible to teach classes that help to meet the requirements for an associate’s degree. Undergraduates are able to tutor and serve as teaching assistants in the classes. All people who are involved in teaching and