If a typical Ball State classroom was stripped of its up-to-date technology and had bars on its windows, it might resemble Ball State professor Pat Ryan's classroom at Marion County Jail II. The students differ from traditional students. They all dress alike, and their overall attentiveness exceeds that of a normal class, Ryan said.
"They're good students for the most part," she said. "They're always prepared and ready for class, and usually we have really good discussions."
About 12,000 students at six sites around the state attend Ball State classes as part of the university's correctional education program.
Prisoners at Indiana State Prison (Indianapolis), Pendleton Correctional Facility (Pendleton), Correctional Industrial Facility (Pendleton), Marion County Jail II (Indianapolis), Indiana Women's Prison (Indianapolis) and Bunker Hill-Miami Correctional Facility (Peru) can earn associate's and bachelor's degrees through Ball State. They are also eligible to receive one year off their sentence for an associate's degree in arts and two years off for a bachelor 's degree in general studies. Classes at New Castle Correctional Facility are scheduled to begin this fall.
Ryan has been teaching in prisons off and on since 1993. This semester she is teaching anthropology courses at Marion County Jail II and the Correctional Industrial Facility.
While some may think teaching in prisons could present a potential safety risk, Ryan said she's rarely felt that her safety was in danger. She said she enjoys the opportunity to teach in a different situation.
Many of Ryan's students said they made mistakes earlier in their lives and plan to better themselves by becoming educated.
"There's two different types of prisoners: troublemakers and the ones who just made a mistake," said Richard, one of Ryan's students. "We know we goofed up, and we might as well do something good for ourselves to change our lives when we get out."
Prisoners' last names were withheld to protect their privacy.
The correctional education program gives people who made mistakes a chance to contribute to society better after their sentence.
"I feel that everybody deserves a second chance. It's in the past, and they've paid their dues," Judith Woolley, program coordinator, said. "By them signing up for classes, they come back into society as better people."
Inside the jail, the difference between college students and regular prisoners is clear. The students are well-behaved and willing to do what it takes to gain knowledge.
"Some sit back and don't want to do anything in their time here," said Richie, another of Ryan's students. "A lot of us want to better ourselves through college. It makes you feel better to know that you've accomplished something."
Rodney, another student, said his own education affects other prisoners who aren't in the program.
"They see me studying and ask me questions on what I'm doing and how to do it." he said. "College isn't for everyone, but others can learn something from us, even if they don't go to college. You can bring people together through education."
Providing an education for prisoners also makes them less likely to return to prison after their release, Woolley said.
"We are really proud of the progress we've made with the program," she said. "There has been a lot of controversy in recent years surrounding these types of programs, but I think it's the best form of rehabilitation there is."
Bob, another Marion County Jail II student, did not realize the value of educating prisoners until he was imprisoned himself.
"I worked and paid taxes for 25 years, and I always wondered why my money was going to prison education," he said.
While the state does pay professors mileage to drive to the prisons, most prisoners have to pay for their education or file for loans.
"Now that I'm in the program, I see that getting an education has helped me expand my mind," Bob said. "Now I'll have something to give back to society."
This second chance also gives prison education students more appreciation for their education than some traditional college students, some of Ryan's students said.
"We have limited libraries and no Internet," Bob said. "It makes us strive harder to finish our assignments and study."
Several of Ryan's students agree that while attending college within prison walls is not an ideal education, their former lives did not give them an opportunity like this. One student, Andrew, said he lived around drugs and theft for most of his life. He also knew very few people who went to college or graduated high school.
"Kids are looking for that good 'high' feeling. If they don't get it from their education or activities like sports, they might get it from drugs or crime," he said. "They should be taught to be higher achievers and do it the right way."
Dave, another student who was raised without encouragement to pursue an education, offered the following words of wisdom to young men and women who might end up in prison:
"My big challenge to the young is to live life with a goal. When you live aimlessly, without thinking of the future, I think that's where people go wrong and end up making decisions they didn't think they'd make."
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