| Show Satellite Campus Offers Skills Skins to Inmates at Utah State Prison Eugenia Feature Editor BOBBY St Stanbridge looks like an average Utah citizen Hes He's about 35 tall slim parts his his' brown short hair on the right side and wears glasses And he is enthusiastic about his studies in the building construction program and even eyen designed a pro apro pro program gram to m make toys such as wooden rocking horses trains trucks cars ducks ane and doll cradles 1 These ese toys then are given n to Utah's youth Only Stanbridge is not the typical typical typical cal student He is one of students enrolled in prison program The program offers offers offers of of- fers inmates the opportunity to enroll enroll enroll en en- roll in the same curriculum that is offered at other campuses Stanbridge said that he e wants others others' to realize that inmates can contribute to society I designed this toy program to show the public that we are not all animals out here We want to give a little back to the public There are some of us out here that do care he said St h has s to val ew his educational opportunity When I CaI came into this program I was known as having a severe behavior behavior behavior be be- havior disorder I would go off and yell and scream and chase people around wanting to beat people up Since Ive I've been enrolled in this program I have not had one write up This has been as a matter of fact the longest I have been out of maximum security he said Stanbridge will be 47 when he heis heis heis is to be released from prison in 4 6 ry t t 4 or kIt zV c J. J f fJ f x T 1 oF f I 1 14 1 8 r I AJ s I 4 T j It t. t Ct 1 t It I S I Horizon photo Ed file Ule Left to Right Mike John Calhoun and Bobby Stanbridge students stud at Utah State Prison 2005 People Q to realize that education is what is important Education is what is going to keep people like me out put of here and reduce the recidivism he said aid prison program was designed to parallel the sa same e I-fp I programs that aie a ai leat thelt campuses s. Students who are areat areat areat at the prison satellite take the same number of credits as students on other campuses said Elwood dean of technology technology- who oversees several programs at the prison satellite campus The programs offered at the prison are building construction automotive ve technology office in information information information in- in formation systems and computer computer- aided drafting Some portions of the electricity programs also are available Th The programs are carefully chosen to take students to the employment f field eld as quickly as they are released said If they l ey are released during the term tenn o of the quarter they can easily slide over and just just- continue to attend attend at- at 51 tend f s sc i ool iem j j cm s d. d James Jay Miller an instructor instructor tor in the building and construction program developed the e program at atthe atthe atthe the prison eight years ago It was the first program available to in in- in mates Miller said that the inmates who are enrolled in prison satellite classes classes classes clas clas- ses are in Section known as minimum security The program is only offered to these inmates Most students he said were in maximum security before enrolling in the courses The students are all men nn whose V ag ages s range from 17 11 into their late There is an OIS program available available available avail avail- able for wo women n at their facility he added r. r Miller Miner said that the students wh who who i ini ni It i i ithe Q e U a good goo success rate rate I feel we have a Viable pro pro- gram Its It's cheaper to train them and give them a trade especially for those who haven't had haq any op op- op- op Its It's a win situation If we dont don't go in something like this for these young men we weare weare weare are just going to be housing them for the rest of their lives This is worth it t he said See Prison on Page 4 Prison continued from page lage 1 When the program started eight years ago Miller said there were only hand tools were available for the 10 stu stu- stu- stu dents Recently a new phase of training started for those students who have completed the program program program pro pro- gram and still have time timeto to serve in prison The satellite will offer an extended extended extended ex ex- tended program so students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents can gain more knowledge in the building trades Miller said that once the inmates realize they have the skills and ability to le learn rn and apply their know knowledge ledge they feel suc suc- ce They feel as if they are worth something you cant can't stop them from wanting to o learn They dri drive ve you as an instructor to find out more about the trade he said In the building program program program pro pro- gram Miller said he expects expects expects ex ex- perfection otherwise it would be difficult to place them and keep them themon on the job He also expects them to be proud of their accomplishments and their abilities Miller said that when the student is placed il in a job the employer is made aware of their strong and weak po points Miller said that during 1 i the past two y years 86 students students stu stu- stu dents have completed the program and have been released from prison Of that 86 only eight returned to prison Stanbridge who is expected expected ex- ex ex- ex to o earn earn his his' associates associate's degree fr fire m the prison satellite campus campus cam cam- pus credits his education to Miller and the program program program pro pro- gram Its people like Jay Miller that makes this program work and its it's a learning experience Without Miller I would have no direction I owe it t tall all to Jay t I oF AMERICAN T 9 SOCIETY CANCER NOTHING MIGHTIER TIll THAN THE |
