How do the educational credentials you’ve earned influence your prospects for success upon release?
When considering the question of educational credentials that may influence success upon release, it is important to differ between credentials someone may earn through rehabilitative “programming” or through obtaining their GED or advancing onto secondary educational achievements like an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree. And it also is important to consider where an individual begins their advancement. For some, obtaining a GED is the pinnacle achievement that may change the scope of their lives. For others, obtaining certificates from rehabilitation classes can help begin the process of healing, dealing with trauma, or learning new skills. These classes/credentials could advance into therapy or even complete a Vocational Program or an Apprenticeship which may translate into long-term enlightenment or earning more money upon release. And finally, for some individuals, the credentials earned could literally translate into freedom. If someone is filing legal paperwork for a compassionate release or a sentence commutation, then any and all classes and academic credentials could sway a judge’s response in their favor.
In my situation, I work everyday to prepare myself for freedom as well as earn it. Having been incarcerated for the better part of three decades, it is difficult to imagine re-integrating into society and being able to keep pace with the world. I was never on the internet, nor owned a cellphone. I will have to learn how to navigate a smartphone and the internet at the same time. People no longer apply in person for a job, they submit applications or resumes online. The “want ads” are no longer a section of the newspaper, they are posted on internet sites. Therefore, it’s essential that I obtain any type of computer training possible. (Unfortunately, neither of the the 2 BOP institutions I’ve been at since 2019 have a computer lab, nor teach soft skills.) Since I have earned my Associate’s Degree, I am trying to focus my attention on release preparation classes and rehabilitative classes through Psychology. It is an ongoing challenge for me to gain acceptance into these types of classes because FSA policies have re-structured institutional priorities, but it strengthens my resiliency as I doggedly push forward in this area. It is my hope that classes like Anger Managment and Release Preparation will be ‘soft skills’ that better equip me to deal with the things I haven’t done in the last 28 years.
This brings me to my conclusion for this week’s journal entry: regardless of the level of cerficature obtained or the quantity of classes taken while incarcerated, the resistance put up by staff as well as the daily challenges an individual faces just to get to class ensure that individual will learn more than they could ever learn IN THE CLASS. It sounds confusing, I’m sure, to some, but it’s true. It requires walking away from associates who want to hang out or play table games, it means walking past a corner full of homies calling their friend to come get high, it necessitates passing up on taking a nap, playing electronic games, watching TV, or going to work out on the rec yard. Then there are the frustrations over institutional lockdowns or counts that run so late there is no move to education. Even getting to the classroom somedays is the hardest part of a person’s day. The determination necessary means they are building a stronger foundation by focusing on their future success after prison in addition to learning and training and growing. Anyone released from prison will encounter plenty of roadblocks – future employers unwilling to take a chance, probation officers itching to hit the “return” button, government agencies unwilling to assist a former felon, etc. – but if they’ve built that rock solid foundation of persistence and dedication in succeeding, they will be able to weather the storms they face. In essence, the certificates are secondary in terms of importance when compared with the discipline necessary to ensure their needs are met. Thus I feel the classes I’ve taken and the degree I earned are important, surely, for any employer, but even then the conviction and time in prison may mean a lot of employers will automatically dismiss me. I must use the other skills I’ve developed, just to obtain the degree and certificates, to find fulfillment and success after leaving prison.
