Why work with inmates? What's wrong with the criminal justice system anyway?

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Over 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated, accounting for 25% of the globe's entire prisoner population. An estimated 75% of state prisoners, 69% of county jail inmates, and 59% of federal prisoners do not have a high school diploma; inmates arguably are the most educationally underserved population in the country, and both they and their communities suffer because of it. Studies repeatedly show that inmates who participate in educational programs while incarcerated are significantly less likely to commit additional crimes when released. Despite the wealth of research confirming this finding, efforts to educate inmates and decrease the 67% U.S. recidivism rate have been lacking. Though certain jails hold classes, the overwhelming majority do not have the opportunity to participate. Even where classes exist, few inmates receive the remedial, one-on-one attention needed to counteract a lifetime of educational deficiency. And that's where we step in.

If you are interested in tutoring, please complete the following steps.

1. Fill out the SBB tutoring application and email it to Allen Huang (ahuang1 |at| stanford.edu) and Jane Wilson (jewilson |at| stanford.edu). You can print a copy of the SBB application here.
2. Email Allen for the NCSL application, and complete it. Arrange a time for him to pick it up.
3. Once Allen has notified you that he has turned in your NCSL application, wait a day or two, then call the sheriff's department at 415.734.2301 to arrange a fingerprinting appointment. Please keep in mind that the department only fingerprints people on Wednesdays, and appointments fill up quickly in advance. If you call and your name is not yet on their list of fingerprinting-eligible people, continue calling periodically (in some instances it takes extra time for the NCSL to forward your information to the sheriff's).
4. Attend a mandatory orientation for people working in the jails. The schedule is as follows: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, 10am-12pm, and 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month 6-8pm, excluding holidays. You need to attend only one. Be sure to keep the "receipt" they give you as proof that you have attended the orientation. The address is 425 7th St, San Francisco. Let Allen or Jane know if you need a ride.
5. For your fingerprinting appointment, the address is 120 14th St, San Francisco. Be sure to bring the "receipt" from the orientation. Again, let Allen and Jane know if you need a ride.
6. A week after your fingerprinting appointment, call 415.734.2301 again to confirm that your clearance has passed.
7. Right before your first time tutoring, SBB will provide a brief training session to prepare you.

If at any point in this process you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Once you have received your security clearance, you are ready to start tutoring! Before you head down to San Francisco, make sure to stop by the Haas Center to pick up any materials you need. Once you're in the Haas Center, go to the SBB cabinet in the Morgan Room. There will be two black file bins (they should be on top of or under the counter, next to the couch). Read the instruction sheet affixed to the TUTORING LOG CALENDAR (taped on top of one of the boxes), and pull the tutee files for your tutee and two fallbacks.

Go to the TUTOR MATERIALS box and pull subject packets for each tutee. We have prepared packets with instructional sheets and lots and lots of practice math problems, so you should have more than enough to keep your tutee busy.

If this is your first session with a particular inmate, bring the Math Diagnostic test. For all subsequent sessions, bring the appropriate exercise materials (also found in the GED Materials Binder).

Note: Be sure to have all your tutoring materials and a driver's license or other government-issued ID. The deputies don't accept school IDs.

1. Walk, bike, or take the Marguerite to the CalTrain station on University Ave.
2. Buy a day pass for $11.50 from one of the machines. You are going to Zone 1. Keep your receipt if you want to be reimbursed.
3. Proceed to the underpass that will take you to the other side of the tracks. Board the NORTHBOUND train to San Francisco.
4. Get off at the 4th and King station, the final stop.
5. Walk along 4th St (it's a left if your back is facing the Caltrain station) until you hit Bryant St, where you'll make a left. Then walk along Bryant St for about 3 blocks until you hit 7th St. The jail, which is a huge white building with a Department of Justice sign on the front, will be on your right.
6. Go through the security checkpoint, and proceed to the Northern California Service League (NCSL) office. (The office is just a couple steps from the security checkpoint--it shouldn't be hard to find. Ask one of the security guards if you can't find it.) Check in at the NCSL office and leave the things you don't need for tutoring in there. Be certain to leave your cell phone in the office. For timekeeping during the tutoring session, bring a watch.
7. Go to the jail where you are assigned to tutor. Show your identification through the window to the deputy. Tell them that you are an NCSL tutor.
8. Look at the inmate list for the information for your tutee, and show it to the deputy. He/she will call your tutee to the interview room and you can begin tutoring.
9. After tutoring, go check in at the NCSL office again and get your things.
10. Go back to the CalTrain station and briefly fill out your reflection form on your ride back to campus.

For more information on the San Francisco County Jails, click here for more information.

In any tutoring situation, it is essential to create a safe learning environment based on mutual respect. The following information is intended to provide you with an idea of what a typical session should include, general tutoring tips, and important guidelines to follow at the San Francisco jails.

• During the tutoring sessions:
  What do tutors work on with the students? What does a session look like?
  • Wait in the interview room for tutee to arrive. Introduce yourself and ask your tutee what he or she would like to work on specifically. Get a feel for their background in any of the topics.
  • Set ground rules for the tutoring sessions (what do you expect from him/her, how often will you show up, commitment to program, will complete assignments, etc).
  • Administer the diagnostic math test part II (45 minutes, 25 questions). Grade and correct the exam and discuss what topics your tutor will need to work on for next session.
  During the Next Session
  • Explain what the GED test consists of and pick a math topic that you will focus on. Go over the results of the diagnostic and work with them to explain answers to questions.
  • Create a curriculum with your tutee, set clear goals and an agenda, and follow through with it. Provide sample problems for your tutee, and give him or her assignments to work on.
• General Tutoring Tips:
  • Share your own studying tips with them, including effective reading or math techniques.
  • Encourage your tutee to verbalize his or her ideas or questions about material. Remember that a tutoring session isn't a lecture. Let the tutee answer some of his or her own questions and take active part in learning process. Encourage them to summarize material or concepts discussed.
  • Allow for difference in learning styles. If one method or explanation isn't working, use another.
  • Build motivation and self-confidence. Encourage and help your student set goals.
  • Wait after you answer a question. Allow your student to think and respond.
  • Ask questions that require specific details or feedback. For instance, "Why did I need to subtract/multiply/add a comma?" instead of "Do you understand this now?"

After each tutoring session, we ask that you record your tutoring experience on our tutoring database. Please click here to access the tutor database and record your tutoring sessions.

In addition to working with inmates, SBB members can also tutor parolees and work with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), an organization that works with incarcerated youth. Please contact either Allen Huang or Jane Wilson for more information about either of these programs.