What should prisoners be taught for a trade when they get out?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I know some work in the prison laundry, and some make license plates.

But it seems most other lines of work are blocked, with some justification, by the good people already in that line of work.
Longshoremen bridle when told they should accept a bunch of ex-cons among their co-workers.
I’m sure even circus roustabouts wouldn’t want enough people paroled into their field that all of them were tarred with it.

So what should these guys be doing? Seems like all I hear about them doing is weight training.

2

I thought they had access to libraries and computers on site. Maybe it depends on the type of prison, like state versus federal (in U.S.). Then there are “white collar” criminals like the junk bond kings and the [alleged] Enron and Martha Stewart types… :rolleyes:

3

How about boxing promoters or right-wing radio talk show hosts?

4

Personally I do not think prisoners should be entitled to a “free” college education while in prison. I will agree that they should be able to get their GED or a techincal certificate but no more.

I think it would be beneficial if they could learn a trade of some sort. Plumbing, electrical, welding. Something that they can use in everyday life and something that will offer them a future to stay out of trouble.

5

do a search for unicor those prisoners do a lot more than make license plates
and when i worked in the furniture industry those prisoners made more than most of the employees where i worked at plus we lost our government contract to unicor

6

When my mother was serving time in Tallahasee, there were lots of programs for prisoners, from painting to GED classes. Often they’d be taught a marketable skill and sometimes even become accredited, which helped ease the transition back into society.

7

A Plumber??? Sure, I’ll leave the key under the mat and trust him to fix whatever needs fixing without robbing me blind.

8

Isabelle,

I can’t speak for all prisons but the one my brother is in does not give ‘free’ college educations. He works as a janitor in the prison for 50 cents a day and my mother also gives him money to pay for his courses and materials. He is currently taking a welding class and an English class.

I would think they should be taught a trade that they can be successful in when they leave prison in the hope that with a decent job they won’t return. You are right about people not wanting to hire or work with ex convicts. Unfortunately that attitude assumes no one is rehabilitatable and proves to the person that he should stick to what he knows: crime.