Preparing Michigan Prisoners for Productivity

I recently took a trip to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center for tests. While there, I was amazed at how courteous, professional, and effective the staff was despite my handcuffs and accompanying guards. Truly, the U of M does a wonderful job preparing its students for the next phase of their lives: careers. As an enrolled student in an extended studies program, I was able to identify a number of employed management, customer service, and human resources concepts and qualities about which I have studied in pursuit of a business management degree. The most revealing part of this trip was the stark contrast between the setting of that campus and the setting of prison. The U of M is goal-focused and professional in their mission, while the Michigan Department of Corrections employs virtually no proven professional techniques, and in practice, the MDOC's goal appears to be simply to keep criminals isolated from society. Michigan's taxpayers may desire more meaningful value for their 2 billion dollars per year investment. If prisons were run more like colleges and prisoners were actually prepared, through education, jobs training, and modeling of professional conduct by employees, Michigan would benefit from the results: lower re-offense rates and productive members of society. (Guest post by prisoner Scott Wynne #247226)