This morning I had the pleasure of addressing the graduating
GED class at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The Center is a Federal
Bureau of Prisons facility in lower Manhattan. The 12 graduates in attendance
are among the over 40 that have received their GED this year through the Center’s education
program—double the number from a few years ago. In the audience were family members
and tutors; other inmates who volunteer their time to help fellow inmates attain
the GED. I was struck by the dedication of the staff and tutors. One graduate,
who was honored at the event, was not so sure about the program initially. He
told me during the reception that his instructor kept on him and would not give
up. He credited her persistence as a key reason why he passed the GED. Each
graduate I spoke with had a genuine optimism about their future; they were also
clear that they did not want to ever come back to prison.
My time at the facility with the men and their families
reminded me about the importance of education and the need get education
programs back in prison. We know that education programs in prison reduce recidivism and improve job prospects for persons returning from prison. A
friend once told me that when he was on the inside he had a choice to make: "to
either do his time, or let the time do him." Prison education programs offer men
and women who are incarcerated an opportunity to “do their time” in
a way that will benefit not just themselves but also their families and the
larger community.
Christopher Watler
Project Director
Harlem Community Justice Center
