to rely
u1ance-down in
e
lela s say
COldjID"'� Ir 1
it is a high priority,"
Muskegon's prison is
medium-security facility that
som what resembles a college
campu Courim said, adding
that prisoners behave in the
rooms because they want to
tay there rather than be sent to
other facilities.
en 21 and older sentenced
from one year to life comprise
the pri n population at Mus­
kegon. Courim said these I
prisoners tend to have more
motivation than juvenile since
they kno what it is Ii e to
earch for job without educa­
tion.
A Moog the 300 courses f­
{I red in state prisons, G.E.D.
equence in reading, writin
... d m thernatics; vocati n I
training,
Courim greed with Brown
that som prison students at­
tend cl es just tor omethin
to do.
"We rely too heavily n
educational programs to ke p
the prisoner busy," Brown aid. -
But orne prisoners have so
much m tivation that they are
moved to tears when they
receive their degrees, Courim
sid.
"Some say they've made a
mess of their lives nd really
vant a chance to do something
meaningful," Courim said. , I
can't tell you how gratifying it is
for a 25-year-old who has been
a failure II his life to get a
Q.E.D."
Pri oners with longer senten­
ces tend to be the best students,
workers and pri oners because
they have become accustomed
to life in prison, �u im said ..
Th cl room i controlled
environment wi one teacher
and three or four prisoner
teacher aides per 25 students.
Teachers are equipped -with a
"panic button" that sounds an
al rm in ca e of emergency,
Courim aid .
Prisoners' main g I is to get
out of prison and they know if I
they d up in school their terms I
will be extended," Courim said ,
Be en r a ignments
or other duties, students spend
o to si 0 in during
their I . ure time, depending on
t they can r into their
schedule. •