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Educational Programming in Special Handling Units
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Despite, and in light of, the security concerns posed by inmates in the high-maximum security units of
Canada's federal institutions, efforts have been undertaken to increase the level of programming offered
to these inmates. Educational programming is viewed as an essential part of the effort to reduce the
risk that these inmates present. Offenders who are considered harmful to themselves and to others may be sent to the Special Handling Unit of Saskatchewan Penitentiary, Prairie region, or of the Regional Reception Centre, Quebec region. Inmates in the Special Handling Unit remain isolated from one another until they are able to behave appropriately in a less structured environment. Because of the secure environment of the Special Handling Unit and the offenders' inadequate social and communication skills, it is difficult to offer education programs that involve a significant amount of social interaction. Saskatchewan Penitentiary, Prairie Region Education in the Special Handling Unit (SHU) at Saskatchewan Penitentiary is seen as critical in assisting offenders to transfer from the SHU. Educational programming focuses on improving the cognitive and social skills of offenders in order to reduce their preoccupation with violence. Because of the need to provide instruction in an environment that offers no physical contact and extremely limited association privileges among inmates, the SHU has developed an alternative to the traditional classroom teaching approach. A special tutorial program is offered in the SHU "school," which consists of an office for a teacher and a classroom for up to five students. The classroom contains individual steel cubicles and is separated from the office by a wall and bulletproof glass windows. The teacher and students communicate through a teller's wicket. While this form of teaching is an important component of the education program, it provides only restricted learning opportunities as it can be offered to only a limited number of inmates at one time. To supplement the tutorial program and offer educational instruction to a greater number of inmates, an educational television program called Programs in Adult Learning through Television (PALTV) was developed and has been operating in the Special Handling Unit since 1984. Through the program, inmates can follow lessons on television monitors in their individual cells. The videotaped lessons, which cover grades one through twelve, are taught and produced by the SHU teacher and supported by printed material. Students watch the tele-lessons, perform written assignments for evaluation, and attend the school for tutoring, testing, motivation and feedback when requested or required. As the skills curriculum is set by the Province of Saskatchewan Adult Basic Education, students may earn provincial certification upon successful completion of the program. An evaluation of the program was done which examined quantitative criteria, such as enrolments, success rate, unit costs and length of time spent watching lessons, as well as developmental criteria, such as inmates' decision-making and communication abilities. The evaluation also involved on-site examination of curriculum materials, the tuition process, students' work, and educational records. Inmates and staff were interviewed, and questionnaires were administered to a sample of inmates. At the time of the evaluation (1988), the Special Handling Unit had an inmate population of 49. Of these, 36 had participated in the PAL-TV program, and most (28) were enroled in the Adult Basic Education program (grades one to ten). Approximately 60% of the students were following lessons at the grade-five and -six levels. Although the videotaped lessons were found to contain some minor technical and educational faults, the curriculum materials were assessed as pedagogically sound. According to the questionnaire results, the vast majority of students felt that PAL-TV was important to them. They considered the face-to-face interaction with the teacher to be an essential part of the program and suggested that small study groups be formed to supplement this program component. The program was also found to be cost-effective. In fact, the cost per student in the Special Handling Unit was considerably less than the 1987-88 national per-student cost of Adult Basic Education in Correctional Service of Canada institutions, which was approximately $4,700. Since 1984, approximately 90 students have participated in educational programming through PAL-TV at the Special Handling Unit. Records from 1987 indicate that 5 certificates at the grade-five level, 24 certificates at the grade-eight level, and 5 certificates at the grade-ten level have been achieved. The drop-out rate for the PAL-TV program (at 10%) has remained consistently lower than the 50% drop-out rate for traditional distance education (i.e., correspondence) programs. Furthermore, PAL-TV enrolment has remained consistently at 40% to 60% of the inmate population. PAL-TV has been extended to the main institution of Saskatchewan Penitentiary, which has a population of approximately 435 maximum security inmates. In the two PAL-TV learning centres now operating in the main institution, tutoring is offered by five inmate-tutors, whose work is supervised by the teacher in the Special Handling Unit. Educational television appears to be effective in this high-maximum security institution. However, as contact between inmates and the teacher remains imperative, PAL-TV should not be considered a substitute for the interactive component of education. Regional Reception Centre, Quebec Region As academic and vocational education programming is considered a priority in the Special Handling Unit of the Regional Reception Centre, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, there have been recent efforts to enhance and facilitate inmate access to these programs. With the development of classes specially adapted to the particular needs and security conditions of the SHU population, two full-time teachers now offer, concurrently, an Adult Basic Education program and a secondary-level vocational education program in technical drafting. In the Adult Basic Education program, specially adapted electronic equipment allows individual instruction with the use of audio cassettes. The teacher may therefore interactively monitor the progress of six inmates simultaneously. Literacy training is offered up to the grade-twelve level. The technical drafting program is taught with the assistance of a computer fitted with equipment such as a tracing table and AUTOCAD software, in conformity with the requirements of the Ministry of Education of Quebec. As this program is offered at a preuniversity level, its prerequisites include mathematics, which inmates can study while working on the vocational specialization. This program is also available in a maximum security institution and a medium security institution in the Quebec region, and therefore inmates who are transferred from the Special Handling Unit may still continue their education in other institutions. In addition to these programs, inmates have access to a variety of correspondence courses, which are particularly well suited to education needs at the college and university levels. Other personal and social education programs are also available to the clientele of the Special Handling Unit. Many specialists offer structured education programs; for example, psychologists give therapy programs, and chaplains hold educational meetings. As well, Alcoholics Anonymous, a community organization, invites inmates to participate in group meetings, which provide a structured reflection on alcohol and drug problems. Collins, M. (1990). Educational Television in a Canadian High-Maximum Security Unit. In S. Duguid, ed., The Yearbook of Correctional Education, pp. 295-304. Burnaby, British Columbia: Simon Fraser University. This article was prepared with the assistance of Bea Fisher, teacher, Special Handling Unit, Saskatchewan Penitentiary; Jacques Broulliard, Chief, Employment, Education and Social Development, Regional Reception Centre, Quebec Region; and Nick Wasyliw, Assistant Warden, Correctional Programs, Saskatchewan Penitentiary. |
