One of the hot topics surrounding COVID-19 has been the extent to which prison populations, both inmates and workers, have been affected by the deadly virus. Friend of THE MJ PROJECT Beau Avila, a prison teacher passionate about this unusual undertaking, was kind enough to share his story and the role MJ plays in helping inspire and rehabilitate his students.
Tell us a little about the role education can play in helping your students turn around their lives.
“Statistics are clear that as their level of education increases, the decrease in recidivism is quite significant. Doing well in this program also gives my students, many of them still young men, the skills and confidence that translate well into success once they leave here. However, those features won’t exist without strong literacy skills, and at the prison, I’ve learned that strong literacy skills come at the fastest, most beneficial rate when students enjoy what they read.
What exactly do you do?
“I teach the GED course for a prison facility in the Central Valley. Unlike now, under normal conditions I run three classes every day, each are two hours long, with a maximum of eighteen students per class, many still in their teens or early twenties. Classes are grouped by reading level, and my main responsibility is to prepare these students to take and pass the GED test.”
As educators, we’re naturally curious about your classroom setup.
“I run a self-contained classroom, with two teacher-aides that are inmates who earned their GEDs while incarcerated. I have tables where groups of 3-4 students work together. In general, they are very respectful, inquisitive and hard-working, and most have a fondness for reading.”
So we’ve heard.
“Many were not avid readers prior to being incarcerated, but thanks in large part to The MJ Project , now they are. We have group discussions about favorite books and authors and interests. It may not be surprising that my students consider reading “an escape from this place.”
What grabs their attention subject-wise?
“There is a wide range of interests, from personal growth (parenting, in particular) to autobiographies to fictional novels. You might have already guessed that true crime is a crowd pleaser as well.”
On a classroom level, what is the result of having these high-interest books available to your students?
Discussing these books builds on the sense of community that I hope to establish in my classroom, and that opportunity has been made easy with the help of MJ. Your organization allows me to request specific books to come into my classroom, which in turn allows the students to become a part of the decision making process. This is an unquantifiable asset as students sense they are valued and then more likely to excel as they have this sense of belonging.”
That’s pretty heavy stuff, as is the pandemic.
“Yes, the loss of face to face classroom interaction has been challenging for us all, and just like in traditional high schools where graduation is up in the air, my students close to completing their GED work are disappointed as well. The good news is that The MJ Project continues to fill their reading requests, pandemic or not.”
And you, personally?
“I think this is a great opportunity to accomplish things that people say they would love to if they had more time. Taking advantage of a slower world just might result in our society’s people being more well-rounded. For example, my sister has started to take guitar lessons, I’m taking Spanish via google meet, and my wife has volunteered her time at a local food pantry. I get to have more face-to-face time with my own kids and guide them toward their own personal growth. What a fantastic time to be a parent!”
“Reading gave me hope. For me, it was the open door.” Oprah Winfrey
#Beauknows
View our donation page and Help Us Help Them: www.mjproject.org/donate