ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates that educational opportunities are essential in prisons, particularly for lifers, who are the leaders in communities and often set the example for the younger generation to follow. The positive influence of lifers is not easily measured or even observable by casual onlookers, so it is often overlooked and rarely reported. Some outside students made on-the-spot commitments to a life of serving the least fortunate and incarcerated civilians. Education allows mentors to mentor, fathers to father, mothers to mother, and even prisoners with life sentences to help all of humanity. Education directly enhances the chances of any released prisoner to make a successful transition back into society and contribute to positive change in their home community. Although lifers will not go home, they can work as mentors, an indispensable commodity that can be effectively utilized by prison officials and prison educators.
