Prisoners Studying At A College Level

By Dr. Marciene Mattleman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Otisville Correctional Facility in New York State has many prisoners serving life sentences, men, who, as one guard put it, have 'mellowed out.' Observers describe it as a college where inmates rely on encyclopedias for information. Use of the Internet is forbidden.

Their work includes art history and the works of Scott Fitzgerald and Toni Morrison, which has produced outstanding writers - the quality you might find in students from elite high schools.

Through a competitive application process, many have gained admission to a program initiated by John Jay College of Criminal Justice that permits prisoners who have GEDs or high school diplomas and are eligible for release within 5 years, to take college credits and complete degrees in the in the City University system.

The Legislature rejected Governor Cuomo's plan for prison education; however he is seeking private funding for this effort at rehabilitation.

Read more in The New York Times.