I Teach in a Prison

I never knew our town had a prison.? I was new to Marana.? Before Covid, I would see the orange suited prisoners landscaping the roads. My VA Voc Rehab counselor told, “Why don’t you teach in a prison?”? I told her because I didn’t want to get beat up or killed.? Then Covid happened, and I needed a job and prison needed a teacher.

Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility (MCCTF) is a minimum security prison tucked away and in between the Avra Valley Airport and Water Treatment Facility.? It is a minimum security prison for drug offenders - some are users and some are traffickers. We are a private prison and our client has an agreement with the Town of Marana - no violent offenders. Our facility holds 500 inmates at capacity.? Currently, we have just under 300.? 40% are Mexican nationals.? At one time, this prison used to house women.

I teach GED and ABE.? General Educational Development has been around since World War II.? ABE or Adult Basic Education is to test for an 8th grade competency.? The Arizona Revised Statutes require us to teach our people to get at least 8th grade.? So many kids drop out and the unlucky ones end up in places like this.

For the first month, I was scared.? I had been to combat but I never wanted to go to prison.? During my orientation, the deputy Warden reminded me that in the 13 years he had been here, there had never been an assault on a staff member.? Covid shut classes down for a spell.? Finally, DOC, the Department of Corrections, opened programs back up and I got to meet my students - I got to teach.

To my surprise, the students were polite.? They wanted to learn.? There is no better joy in life than teaching something to someone who wants to learn.? I have been teaching in other places.? But I only felt that spirit in wealthy rural and some of the parochial schools.? Here it was in prison.? I learned the hard way not every prisoner is the same.? Tune in next time and I will tell you why.