Unlocking Minds In Lockup Prison Education Opens Doors [Paperback]

In Unlocking Minds in Lockup Jan Walker candidly describes her reactions to prison realities, belief in education as a door-opener for offenders and their responses to the programs she developed and taught. She gives readers an honest look at the rhythms of working inside, seeing inmates as students, and helping them prepare for reentry to society. Through the years she confronted negative attitudes and behaviors with honesty and options for even those who committed the most serious crimes to change their lives through critical thinking, open discussion in class and reaching out to their families and communities. Unlocking Minds in Lockup answers the nationwide call for criminal justice reform with an inside view of prison education making a difference. Mass incarceration led to over 2 million adults inside prison. Current cost to taxpayers is estimated at over $70 Billion dollars per year. The reader is invited to step inside adult men's and women's prison classrooms to see and hear incarcerated students work to change their attitudes, behaviors and choices. There are 2.7 million children in the US with a parent in prison and millions more with a parent under court supervision. The best way to stop the incarceration cycle in families is through educating adults inside prison now and preparing them to return to their families and communities as productive citizens.