Re: the Oct. 20 article "UA education project forging a 'prison-to-college pipeline'."
It was good to read about the Prison Education project UA's English Department is conducting now in the local prison. The English Department has a long tradition, it might have been noted, of doing this work, beginning with the poetry workshops Richard Shelton conducted in several Arizona prisons over 30 years (read his wonderful book about this work, Crossing the Yard). Writing workshops were continued after Shelton's retirement by English instructor Erec Toso. Courses in Prison Writing were offered where undergraduates and inmates could exchange and comment on each other's writing . Finally, a generous donor enabled this Prison Education program to get going. It's a wise undertaking. Education reduces recidivism and not much else can be counted on.
John Warnock, Professor Emeritus
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
