RAIL and LAF are joining forces in efforts to organize a correspondence school for prisoners. Our mission is to provide college level correspondence courses to Massachusetts prisoners, particularly those suffering in isolation cells, generally called "control units" or "the hole". While incarcerated, prisoners are routinely denied access to education and educational materials. This perpetuates cycles of violence, self-hatred and despair. Upon release, ex-prisoners have little job skills, and are forced into criminalized activities for survival. We recognize that education is power and, given the state's actions to cut this access to power, people sympathetic to prisoners' struggles must combat this trend and serve prisoners needs. In coalition with volunteer educators, we aim to use this program as a base for building a future accredited degree granting program for prisoners.

We are currently in the initial organizational stage, pulling together educators, student volunteers, prisoner access, funding ideas, researching correspondence schools and an overall plan for the curriculum structure. In these initial stages, our focus will be on Massachusetts prisoners as we have the most contact with them.

In an effort to "get education into prisons", we are soliciting volunteers in all genres of education to donate time and resource to prisoner education. As this is a new program, we recognize that the first programs will be given for strictly educational, not credit, purposes. Though we are aiming to build a credit granting institution, we will be issuing UBARS certificates that list course(s) taken and syllabi. Prisoners will be able to use this upon release as examples of skills accumulated, and as a general benefit via education and personal accomplishment.

We project that volunteer professors will use their own course material with a few manipulations to fit into the prison environment. For example s/he will organize a course with (2) week blocks of assignments, give writing assignments and assume that there will be little access for "group study and discussion". Many prisoners are indigent, so that in order to meet the costs of materials we ask that volunteers donate money, photocopies or books for use by "enrolled" prisoners.

As part of curriculum development, RAIL and LAF will include (1) selection each to each block of materials. Volunteers need not assign our materials, but the organizing groups will include letters stating that RAIL and LAF are organizers and are including material from our perspective to compliment the professor's syllabus.

RAIL will act as the clearinghouse for all Correspondence school communications between educators and prisoners. Mail will be sent to the RAIL PO Box, materials will be mailed out and received via RAIL and volunteers, etc.

As a potential supporter, we ask that you help us out. We need educators, people to talk with Prison Administration, funders, and general volunteers to make this happen. With strong mass support, prisoners can and will receive the education they have been denied for years.

In struggle,

Organizers of University BARS


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