A program called the Volunteer Prison Education Program was launched in July 1997 at the Rikers Island Prison. I called and spoke with Joan Bloomgarden, who described this program as a quality educational experience to inmates who would otherwise not have access to learning. This unique program involves volunteer educators to motivate inmates to help themselves, their families and one another to create a learning community within the prison system. The purpose of this program is to promote positive behavioral change, assist in prevention of crime, work cooperatively with prosecutors, and to actively involve the families of inmates in crime prevention. Courses offered are Child Development, Understanding Your Anger, Art Education in Prison: Toward Enhancing Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution: Pr

The Joint Venture Program, opened its doors in 1991, where private employers can contract with the California Department of Corrections to set up their businesses on prison grounds and hire inmate workers at competitive wages. This gives inmates the ability to provide economical benefits such as providing restitution to victims, becoming taxpayers, paying support to families, compensate costs for their incarceration, and mandatory savings to provide funds after release from prison. The social benefits are the ability to develop good work habits, gain job experience, decrease inmate idleness, and to return to society motivated and skilled adults.

I contacted The Prison SMART Foundation Incorporated and spoke with Thomas Duffy, who was able to provide me information regarding their unique stress management and rehabilitative training program delivered to hardened criminals in U.S prisons. The purpose of this program is to teach the proper breathing techniques to help inmates reduce and manage their stress levels in order to help them think more clearly and to help them think about their actions. Taught by Prison SMART Foundation volunteers, this 6 to 10 day program utilizes advanced yoga breathing exercises and is based on the dynamic cleansing effects of the breath on the body and mind. As a result, they enjoy increased self-esteem and self-empowerment. Thousands who have completed the Prison SMART Foundation's stress management programs are living proof. Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated in this program are easier to handle and exhibit less acting out in confrontational situations.

The California Conservation Camp Program intents to train and use inmates for conservation and development of natural resources. These conservation camps are located in some of the state's most secluded wilderness areas. They provide a large force of trained crews for fire fighting, resource conservation, and emergency assignments as necessary. In addition to fire fighting, other tasks assigned to inmates are graffiti removal, reforestation, levee repair and flood control, pine bark beetle eradication and preservation, illegal dump site cleanup, wildlife habitat rehabilitation, and park and cemetery maintenance. During non-work hours inmates are involved in special projects such as repairing toys for disadvantaged children or on projects with the elderly or disabled. In some camps vocational training programs are available. In others, inmates work on a variety of special projects such as road construction and prison building, which allow them to still learn and strengthen skills. As they repay their debt to

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