Online Degrees Reach Through Prison Walls
Sep 30th, 2006
Online students are known for their diversity. The convenience of 'electronic degrees' has allowed people of all ages and levels of education to further their studies. Now, you can even do it from inside a prison.
ohio University has allowed inmates to take classes through correspondence since 1974, and is now moving into the modern equivalent with online degree options.
These students can take classes from 50 different subject areas that range from accounting to women's studies. Each student is assigned to an adviser whom they communicate with through mail. The program doesn't ask the students of what crimes they have been convicted, but Ken Armstrong, director of the OU Independent and Distance Learning Program, said it ranges all across the board.
Education has proved to reduce the risk of an inmate returning to prison after release, said Jerry McGlone, director of education in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
"For every dollar spent on education, it saves taxpayers $2," McGlone said.
But not all inmates are so drawn to nor successful in these programs.
"Academic success isn't exactly thought of in a prison environment as something to be admired," said Jane Penwell, who taught in prisons for eight years before becoming an educational adviser in the OU Independent and Distance Learning Program.
What do you think? Should online degrees be this accessible?
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