I’m a prison teacher. AMA

[FluentinSimlish]

I was a primary teacher for 7 years but always wanted to be a prison teacher. I eventually became so disillusioned with mainstream teaching that I made the leap and now teach maths to Cat C males.

AMA

Do you feel they can be rehabilitated? Are there some that you hope won’t ever be released?

For some, yes. They have genuine remorse and will take any programme or education on offer as they never want to be there again.

some are absolutely blind to what they’ve done, have no remorse and would do it again. Realistically, they can’t be rehabilitated.

Are you ever afraid of your students? What is tge procedure if it all kicks off?

Do any of your students ever become fixated on you??
Are they happy to be learning? Do you kind of "forget" they're prisoners?

Be careful though, don't be too inspirational.

I met (through work) an x convict and he was obsessed with a tutor from prison. Showed me about 200 pages of letters he had written to her at the prison. They were returned to his probation person. Holy fucking money BE CAREFUL

Sorry, prophet of doom here? I was shocked though.

How comparable is the work load?
Are the prisoners keen to engage?
Whats your teaching space like?

I keep considering making the leap…

What did you expect it would be like working in a prison and how is it different (if at all?) I’d expect to be quite intimidated going through security.

What’s the salary like in comparison to working in a school on the usual pay scales?

I’ve taught about 150 men (it’s a pacey programme) and I’ve thought that 4 of those men should never be released. At the moment, the parole board see what I see and keep declining their parole/cat D.

I’ve only been afraid of two. Neither of them knew I was scared as I fronted it out, but management then removed them from my class.

None have got fully fixated on me, but it has happened in the early stages. You have to be very mindful that as soon as get that intuition, you raise it with education management and the wider prison and you always protect yourself.

Some of them are very interesting to talk to (and VERY honest) but I always keep in mind where I am & what they’ve done

I can’t lie, it’s a huge drop. I went from MPS6 (so about £42000) to £27500 but the work/life balance is amazing.

I’m married to a prison officer so I knew what I was getting into beforehand I suppose.

The security checks to start the job were quite intimidating. They did a credit check, which I passed despite having an awful credit score, and they looked at any social media (they didn’t find any as it’s locked down)

Day to day security is easy. I show my pass to get in, then use my fingerprint to draw keys.

How many of them do think are innocent?

And are they able to continue with education that was already started outside?

And actually, how are their for example degrees funded? Do they apply for student loans?

I find it easier teaching in a prison compared to mainstream. You can be quite honest with them and if they’re not putting the effort in, you tell them outright and they either sort it out or sulk and refuse to come (but they’re adults so they then take the consequeces)

one thing I wasn’t anticipating was how easy the men are chat to, especially if you get onto BGT or Gogglebox 😂

What level are you generally teaching at? I assume literacy and numeracy levels are much lower amongst the prison population, but I may have made that up?

I work for a university with a lot of prisoner students. It’s an area I’d be really interested in working in.

Do you give out negatives for non attendance?

How much do they get paid to attend? Is that a thing in cat c?

A very low percentage. I’ve had one that I think could be cleared in a retrial.

They get about £2 a session, including their 50p day bang up pay.

If depends why they don’t attend. One of my afternoon class has had 3 negatives from me and wing staff this week as I’ve not seen him, but he’s been coming to get his mark from the officers on the desk, then going straight back and telling his wing staff that I’ve put him as ‘not required’ so he’s been outright lying.

One of my guys has sepsis but is still coming everyday and offering to stay, then I send him back. He hasn’t had a negative as he’s willing, management are aware and he’s clearly struggling.

I teach entry 1 (about year 2 in primary) to level 1 (early stages of GCSE), which is a huge spread of ability. Each level is on a 5 week cycle.

They still have to apply for student finance.

Sorry, I’m working backwards so these aren’t in order!

for any prison funded courses (so any courses up to level 2) they’re expected to complete them while they’re still in prison. For an open university course, which they find themselves, they can start it inside and continue it once they released.

I have a dear young autistic relative in prison and the overwhelming feature is drugs ... drug barons pushing them, importing them, taking them, using them to extort money from people on the outside.
How aware are you of the drug problem?

What percentage do you think will lead normal (for want of a better word) upon release ? Find jobs and hold them down