MANDATORY VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR

ALL AFRICAN AMERICAN INMATES

Social Issue Research Project
ETHS 2410
Spring 2014
By: Henry Osheku
Anthony Watson

MY SOCIAL ISSUE
My Social issue is that I have become alarmed at the number of African American males
that are being incarcerated, and the fact that they have very little chance of finding
sufficient employment once they are released. The large majority have no high school
education and their time in prison is not rehabilitation them in any way to be able to
support themselves and their families.

SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
Article 1: The effects of vocational, and apprentice training on prisoners once they leave
prison (Dr. Gaes)
The longer someone stays in prison the more cost to the taxpayer.
The less a prisoner has to offer to society the more dangerous they become.
Their goals were to reduce violence.

SCHOLARLY RESEACH
Article 2: Details on an education program began by African American prisoners
(Nancy Nelson)
Five men serving sentences from 25 years to life, wanted to do something to help
change what was advancing programs that are more detailed.
They designed the program to help African American inmates develop a sense of
self-pride and self-worth as African American.
happening to other African American men.
To be role models in prison and in their communities when they go home.
This is a pioneer program with cooperation between prison officials and inmates to
serves as a blue print for advancing programs that are more detailed.

SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
Article 3: Compelling piece advocating for the education of inmates in prison (Josh
Barker)
He wants to make sure a program is in place requiring specified inmates to have some
type of college degree program as part of their plea bargaining progress.
His vision is to create a curriculum that allow inmates to become social workers and
mental health works and work in the community upon their release.
It allow them a greater chance of employment upon his or her release.
This makes a logical appeal sitting statistical evidence that black male without a
diploma are more likely to be locked up, and are usually given longer prison sentence
than whites for the same crime.

MY INTERVENTION
Impose mandatory vocational training for all African American inmates.
Bring together a board of teachers and administrators.
Have them organize a program curriculum for trades.
Have them write grants for the needed funded.
Have them participate in the administration to the program.
Organize church and community leaders to organize fund raising efforts.
Combine panel of teachers, administrators, church leaders, community leaders, relatives
and parole officers to plan the transition out of prison e.g Help find housing, Resumes
and interviewing help, Transportation needs and Financial planning help.

MY INTERVENTION
There are 2,711 African American inmates in Utah prisons.
Proposed cost of two years trade education is $3,170
Total cost $8,593,870

RESISTANCE TO THE INTERVENTION

The fast growing private prison industry has little interest in rehabilitation, they are in
the housing business.
Many citizens are apposed to prisoners receiving college educations thus the need to
raise the funds necessary.
Many of the prisoners will have so desire to gain a skill.

SUPPORT FOR THE INTERVENTION

The general public would support the vocational training for African American inmates,
since it would bring out positive attitudes of the inmate when they finally gets their
freedom. This would reduce the rate of recidivism and prepare them to re-enter society
as productive citizens, and eliminate unproductive time while incarcerated.
For my interview I sat with my English teacher professor Eric Roberton who encourage
us to look at an area of interest and propose something bold. I developed the idea of
mandatory vocational training for African Americas. His concerns was with those who
legislate the prison systems would be overly concerned with the greater population
seeing this as affirmative action plan, and think it biased. We would also need to get the
felony box on jobs applications removed or some kind of exemption or advocate for the
felons. This would help in receiving a job.

IMPACT OF YOUR INTERVENTION

I want a lasting impact of the intervention of government funding the vocational training
for African American inmates so as to make them productive and confidence about their
ability and skills. To also make them choose a better career when they are out and
reduce rate of recidivism.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abrahams. Frank. Miranda M. Rowland. and Kristian C. Kohler. Music Education Behind
Bars: Giving Voice to The Inmates and The Students Who Teach Them. Music Educators
Journal 98.4 (2012): 67-73 Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
Gaes, Gerald G., Saylor, Williams G. Training Inmates Through Work Participation and
Vocational and Apprenticeship Instruction. Corrections Management Quarterly (Spring
1997): 32-43, Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
King, Martin Luther Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Standard Education Group. 18 Dec.
2000 Web. 26 April 2016.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sing Sing Education Behind Bars Part 1. Hudson Link, 2011. Web. 27 April 2016.