ERIC Number: ED192316
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1980-Mar
Pages: 11
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Women Prisoners to Write.
Pritchard, Constance J.
Courses in college composition taught as part of the University of South Carolina's program at the Women's Correctional Center in Columbia, South Carolina, (a minimum security state prison) have proved valuable to prisoners. Despite the problems encountered, including lack of cooperation from the prison administration and inadequacy of available materials, the program has been found by many inmates to be an important way to prepare to reenter society. The benefits that inmates derive from writing instruction are improved skills in communication, thinking, and semantics. The Women's Correctional Center community is very verbal, and inmates are aware of the need to adapt their language to fit varying prison situations and to express themselves clearly and carefully. Written language is also important in the prison community since it is needed for such activities as applying for privileges, appealing convictions, and writing letters. Through their training in writing skills, inmates have gained knowledge about language and words, consciousness of diction, improved persuasive writing skills, and an avenue for self-expression. The prison courses have differed from traditional courses in the writing topics chosen and in increased chances for individualized instruction. (Excerpts from inmates' writing are included.) (GT)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (31st, Washington, DC, March 13-15, 1980).