1st Official Day at Theo Lacy Facility

It was my first day as a Literacy Instructor at the Theo Lacy Facility yesterday. I was a little nervous at first (there were so many deputies around); I was afraid I was going to get lost and forget my way to the Programs Building. I was escorted there in the beginning, but after the tutoring session, I had to find my way back alone to the front (which I was able to do thank goodness).

 

In the end, it wasn't so bad. The inmate I was assigned to tutor was very easy to talk to and seemed to have his head on straight. In the back of my mind though, I still know to be cautious of inmate manipulation. We'll see how things will go from there.

 

 

During our session, we concentrated on what the reading/writing goals would be:

 

READING GOALS:

- Reading comprehension

- Vocabulary

 

WRITING GOALS:

- Complete sentences (first)

- Paragraphs (second)

- Essays (third)

 

OTHER:

- We'll also be concentrating on writing letters.

- Will concentrate on math (addition/subtraction/multiplication/division) if needed.

- The inmate will be offered homework to complete.

 

From then on, I'll be instructing him one-on-one in an enclosed classroom (with no deputy inside - they're available outside) every Tuesday evening from 5:30-7pm as a volunteer Literacy Instructor.

 

Some deputies at the facility still can't believe I'm doing it as a volunteer. I believe it'll be a good experience for me--not many people get the chance to walk into a prison and help an inmate out one-on-one.