Over the past year, I had the pleasure of working on developing and teaching a financial literacy course at San Quentin called “Members of Modern American Society” (MOMAS). The course aims to prepare inmates for modern society and reduce recidivism by teaching skills they will need to integrate into the formal economy. It was conceived not by people from outside the institution, but by motivated and concerned inmates who now form the MOMAS executive committee. It is a course formed, developed and implemented by inmates for inmates. I believe in this grass roots approach to program development. It has been an incredible mentoring and teaching experience participating in such a collaborative process.
The MOMAS course consists of three distinct, yet interrelated modules. The first module, taught by Rebecca Carter and myself, focuses on the steps necessary to find and maintain employment. Skills covered include resume writing, interviewing strategies, performance reviews and personal goal setting. The second module, taught by Autumn Kruse, teaches inmates about personal finance. Topics range from personal banking to filing taxes. The last module expands the breadth of the class into the world of finance. This module, taught by Jennifer Lyons, teaches inmates about investments, stocks and bonds, and business planning. The progression of the class gives our students valuable skills that will guide their paths outside the prison walls, facilitating the employment process and helping them to manage their money once they are earning it. They are given exposure to opportunities and safeguards for their money, starting with personal banking, progressing to investing and perhaps ultimately fulfilling a dream of business ownership.
I am extremely proud and congratulate our first class of financially literate MOMAS students. The instructors and the executive committee strive to improve the curriculum each time we teach it. Deep thanks to Laura Bowman and Lieutenant Lee Cahayla for all of the support and work to make this program a success. Throughout this process, I have had the opportunity to learn from my fellow instructors, inmate teaching assistants and students. The learning in MOMAS does not follow the traditional flow of knowledge from teacher to student – instead it has flowed up, down and across all participants.
If you are interested in being involved in MOMAS, contact members of the MOMAS executive committee: Michael Harris, Arnulfo Garcia, Samuel Hearns or Troy Williams. We look forward to seeing you in class.