At 19 years old, high school dropout LaDelle Jackson committed a minor felony and spent two years in state prison. Jackson said his prison experience hardened his criminal thinking, making him more dangerous when he was released at age 22.
“In prison I was running around with my homeboys, using alcohol and drugs,” said the now 42-year-old Jackson. “I didn’t want to let go of the negative behavior that kept me from benefi ting from rehabilitative services.”
Jackson said his recklessness and illegal activities on the streets caused someone’s death. In 1996 he headed back to prison with a sentence of 15 years-to-life for second degree murder.
Each year, more than 700,000 people are released from state and federal prisons. Within three years, 40 percent of them will be back in prison for a new crime or failing to keep the terms of their release, according to the Rand Corporation. In California, that fi gure is 54.3 percent, state records show.
Jackson began serving his life sentence in a maximumsecurity prison, where he stayed for nine years. Last year, he was transferred to San Quentin State Prison, a medium-security prison.
“I thought, ‘My gosh, I’m in the land of opportunity,’” Jackson said. “I can’t make any more excuses for not getting things done.”
The first program Jackson got involved with was Alcoholics Anonymous.
“I couldn’t get into anything else,” he said. “AA is the backbone of restructuring my life.”
Since then, he has participated in a long list of rehab programs and earned several vocational training certificates.
But getting his GED is the most important thing on his plate, he said. Jackson attends a nighttime GED preparation class designed to prepare students for the new computerized GED test.
Participating in educational programs during incarceration reduces one’s chances of going back to prison by about 43 percent, the Rand Corporation found.
The voluntary GED preparation class occurs every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Any inmate can enroll in the class. About a half dozen community volunteers and fi ve inmates who serve as peer educators facilitate the class.
Many inmates in the nighttime GED preparation class have day jobs, which prevents them from participating in daytime educational opportunities.
Inmates must take English and math placement tests in order to qualify for the program, according to peer educator Bobby Evans.
“If the students do not meet the criteria we just don’t leave them hanging. We refer them to Free to Succeed and Project Reach, programs designed to serve their educational needs,” he said.
Jackson attends the Free to Succeed program on Friday nights.
The English classes begin with large group instruction. Afterward, the students break into smaller discussion groups and receive individual help.
“When we first started, we didn’t have a curriculum,” said peer educator Miguel Quezada. “We just taught basic math and English skills.”
But community volunteer Ellen Dahlke brought structure to the program, he said.
“We build on a person’s prior knowledge to educate,” Dahlke said of her approach to teaching.
“Ms. Dahlke brought a lot of organizational and managerial skills to better administer the program,” said math tutor Todd “Silk” Williams. “She brought a lot of focus on how to manage the program with the limited resources we had.”
Dahlke sought assistance in training teaching instructors from H. Samy Alim, University of Stanford Professor of Education, Anthropology and Linguistics.
The peer education staff and several community volunteers attended Alim’s workshop that focused on how language barriers complicate teaching.
“There’s a stereotypical expectation that people have when they encounter other cultures,” Alim told the staff during the workshop. “Language has to be used appropriately for the right place and the right time.”
Jackson said the teachers cater their teaching to meet the inmates’ needs.
“They actively engage in the teaching process,” he said. “The inmate tutors do a good job.”
Jackson’s math tutor is Williams, who began tutoring at Salinas Valley State Prison.
“I found that education is my passion and my purpose,” Williams said.
When Williams arrived at San Quentin, he applied for a job in the education department. He didn’t get the job but was asked to work as a volunteer tutor.
Williams said his biggest challenges are keeping the men motivated not to quit and giving them self-confidence.
“Most of the guys who come in are somewhat older and don’t realize the advantage of opening up your mind to a good education so that they could see life in a better light,” he said.
Williams said he’s hoping for more support from the prison’s education department.
“We need things like computers, in order to stay current with the new GED test requirements,” he said.
Williams’ brother-in-law is the vice principal of McClymonds High School.
“He taught me to care and be concerned for young people,” Williams said. “I learned to understand that what I’m doing makes a difference. And that I have a responsibility to that end.”
