Second Chance at a New Beginning
Author: Traci B., Education Department Coordinator, Operation Restoration
When you are on the inside, education becomes an essential means of survival and, luckily, in most carceral institutions, those serving time can participate in classes. However, the presence of classes alone does not guarantee your acceptance into them. Some classes require a high school diploma or equivalent. As in the outside world, conflicts with another class or with prison job responsibilities may make taking some classes impossible. Even your release date can be at odds with a class schedule. If you are able to overcome these barriers and participate in prison education, though, a door opens to growth, and being in prison becomes tolerable. There is suddenly something to work toward, and it challenges you to be the version of yourself that you want to become.
Recently, a new program began inside the walls of Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. It welcomed 10 ladies to embark on a new journey, a journey that would have a profound impact on their futures as returning citizens. This six-month program would teach them the fundamentals of becoming a lab assistant and working inside a medical laboratory.
From the first day of class, they listened in awe as one of their instructors spoke about the class and how it would offer employment in hospitals, clinics, private companies, and even chemical plants. The variety of career opportunities gave them hope in being seen as successful. You see, so often, ladies who are incarcerated are judged by the world’s standards and not for who they truly are. So, when they are seen in a different light, a totally new experience for them begins.
And they have been seen in a different light by their instructor, Ms. Pearl Thompson. Having been incarcerated myself, I knew the magnitude Ms. Thompson would have on their lives as she has had the same impact on my own. She admires their thirst for knowledge and desire to be successful. She sees value in them even when they may not see it in themselves. She invests in their potential, their abilities, and their purpose.
The ladies’ journeys will not end after graduation. For many, it will be the start of a new season. With Ms. Thompson by their side, they will complete the licensure process for the medical board, and with luck and continued changes to policy and attitudes, any barriers they may face will be removed, and they will become certified lab assistants. To date, four of the graduates have been released, and out of the four, one has received her certification and is licensed in the state of Louisiana.
Confucius said education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope, and hope breeds peace. I would go one step further and say peace breeds freedom. So, in essence, education is freeing. That’s the reason education programs inside prison have such a profound impact on the lives of the incarcerated. It offers a second chance at a new beginning.
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