Bloggers Unite - International Literacy Day: Reducing Illiteracy in the Prison Population Benefits ALL of Us!

by Joanna(JuJuBe)

An estimated 20 percent of the adult population in the US is functionally illiterate. That figure SKYROCKETS to over 60 percent when you examine the literacy rates of the inmate population in jails and prisons across the country. And even more appalling is the fact that over 85 percent of juvenile offenders have literacy issues.

Considering that illiteracy commonly leads to lengthy and repeated bouts of unemployment (over 75 percent of unemployed adults have some problems with reading and writing) the low rate of literacy among the inmate population is a recipe for explosive recidivism rates. After all, if an ex-prisoner is unable to find or keep a job due to literacy issues, where else can he turn but back to the behaviors that landed him in jail in the first place?

Although a lot of people take the "lock them up and throw away the key" attitude toward prisoners, and would rather REDUCE the services available to prisoners, there is PROOF that literacy programs in prison CAN and DO help reduce the rates of recidivism, and can lead to an overall reduction in incarceration rates.

A comprehensive study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, the research arm of the Washington Legislature, found that general education programs reduced the recidivism rate by 7 percent and vocational programs by 9 percent, among the best records of in-prison programs.

The academic and vocational programs cost the state about $1,000 a year per inmate but, the study concluded, vocational education produced a net benefit to the state of $13,738 per participant, and the educational programs $10,669 per inmate, in the form of lower crime rates, fewer victims and less criminal justice spending.

Source

The US spends $40 billion annually on incarceration and less than 2 percent of that goes towards educating prisoners. Prisons need to find innovative ways to implement literacy programs using the resources they are given.


Inmates at the New Jersey State Prison took matters into their own hands and created the L.I.F.E. (Learning is For Everyone) program, which was documented in the film "How do you Spell Murder?" In this innovative program, inmates are the managers and are supported by volunteers from the community. Each inmate volunteer is certified by Literacy Volunteers of America and learns the skills necessary to teach adult literacy. They are paired up with a student inmate who is in need of literacy education services.

Many of the students in the L.I.F.E. program share similar stories. Undiagnosed learning disabilities. Frustration and humiliation in public schools. Held back time and time again, or, alternately, promoted without being prepared for the next level. Almost all are high school drop outs. Most were barely able to comprehend the legal documents involved in procedures against them that led to their incarceration. In fact, in one case, the murder conviction of a student was reversed when it was discovered that he had an undiagnosed learning disability and was unable to comprehend the confession he had signed.

Religious Group: Anti-bullying efforts "promote homosexuality in kids"

Remember Carl Joseph Hoover-Walker, right? Kid who committed suicide after his school ignored complaints from his mother about being bullied constantly for being effeminate? Oh yeah, remember that now Well, speaking against the Safe Schools Improvement Act, this is what Focus On The Family says:


So what do you think about the debate? Share your thoughts, will you? I say this is yet another example of just how the religious-right misses the mark when it comes protecting the rights of citizens. These same "religious folk" protested the passage of an extension to the federal hate crimes bill; an extension that covered crimes committed against members of the LGBT community.

According to them, such a bill erodes their right to free speech because it prevents them from preaching against homosexuality from the pulpit. I suppose the solution to the bullying of openly gay kids would be an exorcism of the gay demons that run rampant. Only an idiot would support this view, and I hope you're not one of them. Yeah, let's not protect the kids; instead lettuce all pray.

WTF?!

Haley Barbour: Champion of Mississippi's Civil Rights Movement

One of the things I hate about the getting-to-know-you phase as you establish relationships with people, is the lame attempts to establish some form of commonality. More to the point, I really detest the "Mr. Me Too" asshats that I encounter on occasion in life. You know, the people who are compelled to meet any discussion of your achievements, accomplishments or activities with the juvenile practice of one-upmanship?

Yeah, people like that I can't deal with ever; not in a manner that would require us to be friends. Which is really funny considering I just accepted a Facebook friend request from an old college "acquaintance" who fits the description of the very type of person I'm talking about. Yep, the minute they start speaking I start thinking cheesy cornball used car salesman, in a cheap ugly plaid polyester suit, smacking gum as they tell me lies.

Oh yeah, that sounds just like my old college buddy, and Mississippi governor Haley Barbour in a recent Human Events interview with Peter Robinson. In it, Barbour has raised a hornets nest with the following:

[T]he people who led the change of parties in the South, just as I mentioned earlier, was my generation. My generation who went to integrated schools — I went to integrated college, um, never thought twice about it. And it was the old Democrats who had fought for segregation so hard. By my time, people realized that was the past, it was indefensible, it wasn't gonna be that way any more. So the people who really changed the South from Democrat to Republican was a different generation from those who fought integration.

Sorry Mister Barbour, I was born at night but not last night. Sorry pal, but forty or fifty odd years ago you were in your early twenties, and barely of age to purchase liquor. That said, it's hard to believe that his generation lead any efforts to create a fair and just existence for the then segregated blacks citizens of the south; and in particular, the state of Mississippi.

I know we're post racial now and all, but please don't bullshit me.

Steve Kornaki's piece, "The GOP's new fake racial history" over at Salon, shines a 10,000 watt spotlight on the egregious attempt at revisionist history which paints today's republican party as Negro friendly in lockstep with the heroes of the civil rights movement. Anyone with integrity who is not of the intellectually dishonest persuasion will tell you that the old racist democrats of the south migrated to what's now the republican party.

Interestingly, David Weigel points out that this isn't the first time Barbour has pulled the "race card" for political expediency. In 1982 he challenged Sen. John Stennis (D-Miss.), who was then the last of the dying breed of segregationists in politics. Back then, he pointed out Stennis' racist voting record so as to appeal to black voters. One can suggest that he's attempting to do the same as he tunes up for 2012's presidential run.

Sorry Haley, by racist southern standards, blacks are dumb. But Negroes who voted for Obama in 2008, aren't as dumb as you think they are. At least not as dumb as the ones who identify themselves as Black Republicans, who choose to believe and digest the turds that you spewed from that gaping hole on your face.

See what happens when Glenn Beck reclaims the civil rights movement?

The Sadness and Hope of the Future Job Market and Minorities

By Seattle Slim

First of all, I wanted to take this time out to say, truly, happy Labor Day.  Please take the time out to thank God for being employed, because millions upon millions of Americans currently are not, and some have not been for two years.  I know I'm grateful.  I remember what it felt like to be unemployed and not knowing what was going to happen as far as work was concerned.  I don't wish that feeling on anyone. 

If you are currently without work, my heart and my prayers go out to you.  Been there and it's a tough place.  It's the uncertainty of rent payments, bills and groceries that cannot be afforded and when they ever will be.  Sometimes as humans we get big heads, but this entire week has been very sobering for me, reading about all of these people without work.  Luckily, I've found solace in my Sociology course, as it explains so many things, but it's also disheartening because the type of change needed to get us out of this mess is something Americans aren't really interested in dealing with.  I'm talking about action.  I'm talking about massive protests, lobbying, the whole nine yards.  Instead, people are easily swayed by two parties who don't really give a damn: they either throw money at the problem or want to give tax cuts to add insult to injury. 

Unfortunately, things don't look like they will be getting better until about 2014, and even then, the world as we know it, could be turned upside down.  Sometimes I wonder if this is the fall to our Roman empire...

Whenever companies start hiring freely again, job-seekers with specialized skills and education will have plenty of good opportunities. Others will face a choice: Take a job with low pay — or none at all.

Job creation likely will remain weak for months or even years. But once employers do step up hiring, some economists expect job openings to fall mainly into two categories of roughly equal numbers:

• Professional fields with higher pay. Think lawyers, research scientists and software engineers.

• Lower-skill and lower-paying jobs, such as home health-care aides and store clerks.

Those in between? Their outlook is bleaker. Economists foresee fewer moderately paid factory supervisors, postal workers and office administrators.

That's the sobering message American workers face as they celebrate Labor Day at a time of high unemployment, scant hiring and a widespread loss of job security. Not until 2014 or later is the nation expected to have regained all, or nearly all, the 8.4 million jobs lost to the recession. Millions of lost jobs in real estate, for example, aren't likely to be restored this decade, if ever. (Source)

We're not strangers here to how bad the situation is, and we know that when it rains for the majority, it pours for minorities, who are suffering more from the effects of this recession and crisis we are in.  Those factory/manufacturing jobs that so many minorities relied upon have been disappearing for years--I saw this happening as early as 2006 when I used to be a Staffing Coordinator--and things appear to be getting worse.

Labor Day: Domestic Workers Are People Too!

Some time ago on this site Eco.Soul.Intellectual highlighted the plight of often invisible Caribbean nannies here in the United States. In particular, the piece touched on the many female undocumented workers charged with the responsibility of raising future generations of Americans.

Much like the stereotypical southern black "mammy" archtype we all know too well and "love", their lives and or livelihood is often unappreciated; and in many cases, for them, their subservience is a way of life having to exist in the shadows as all undocumented workers in this country do.

In many cases, these are workers who are voiceless, marginalized, and are often taken advantage of by their employers. Working long slave-like hours tirelessly as they care for the children and households of well-to-do upper middle class and wealthy families, they rarely garner the respect of the average American worker.

While supplying a service that is premium in a culture where class-ism is the norm, these are women often held hostage. Often, domestic workers are away from their own homes all week, and earn very little.

Being undocumented, employers often exploit the services and also abuse domestic workers with the threat if contacting federal immigration agencies; many of these women live and work for years under these conditions.

Today being Labor Day here in the United States, I felt the need to take the time to spotlight a recent passing and signing of landmark legislation which seeks to improve the working conditions of domestic workers in the state of New York.

These are basic rights that have otherwise been ignored, and taken for granted by employers of domestic workers. The New York Domestic Worker Bill of Rights signed by governor Paterson, sadly establishes a legitimacy to the many women who work as domestic workers and nannies:

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (A01470, S2311A) amends New York State labor law to guarantee basic work standards and protections: time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 hours per week; one day off per 7-day calendar week; a limited number of paid vacation days, holidays, and sick days; protection from employment discrimination; and advance notice of termination..  The bill provides a means of enforcing these standards in court. 

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights applies to all domestic workers in New York State.

Domestic workers are the bedrock of a functioning society, yet they are a workforce in crisis. 

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights takes on a new urgency in the wake of the current financial crisis.  Among New York’s least protected workers, domestic workers are among the first and hardest hit by any economic downturn.  In these times, domestic workers are even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. 

Being a son of the Caribbean, and having heard countless tales from women who in most cases are without many options when they first migrate to this the vast land of opportunity. Let me just say that this legislation, like any law that seeks to provide an equal footing by recognizing basic human rights, is a major victory for society at large. Check out the following clip to understand:

Education: How Do We Reach Out to Kids that Just Don't Give a Shit?

Look, there have been many movies made about the one teacher dedicated enough to turn some delinquent, half-drugged-out, where's-my-momma, and are-you-my-daddy teenager into a Rhode Scholar.

But sadly, the national graduation rate still sucks. You know what that tells me? It tells me that the problem may not be the kids, but that there aren't enough teachers who give a shit.

The combination of teachers who don't give a shit, with kids who don't give a shit, is a sure fire recipe for disaster. Sure it's easy to pass the buck and blame the parents, but err, they're not the ones in our schools.

Yeah, I think standardized testing is biased towards kids that don't give a shit.

Solution: Give failing grades to kids who give a shit; lower the curve. Either that or build more McDonalds restaurants and strip clubs. After all, failure invented the lap dance; and the phrase, "welcome to McDonalds can I take your order?" Maybe kids should be paid to learn. Not a bad idea, right?

Serious Question: Why do kids drop out of high school?

I Know Serena is Shaking Her Head

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

I live just minutes walk from the Prudential Center in Newark. And on hockey night it is not safe for colored girls like me to be walking alone. Mobs of drunken white men are escorted by the police to the Pru so that they can get two hours of more drinking, head bashing and cursing.

They own the night in downtown Newark as they are allowed to do whatever they want, and especially be bloody violent---all in the name of the game.

With the recent brawl in the stands at a popular tennis match, I now know where I have to go so that I can fight and get away with it. It's easy. I've got to find a tennis or hockey match to beat a bitch.

Like the brawl @ the US Open. You've seen it. No arrest, no fine, just a gentle slap on the wrist.

Oh wait, I forgot, I resemble Serena Williams. Forget about it. That's jail time and 92k. Bad negro behavior in public violates the slave & black codes and Jim Crow laws.

And yes, I'm going to say it. The privileges of certain flesh tones and class assumptions (though the three perps look hot off the trailer express) are amazing.

I know what the overall rationale is. Someone is sayig, "These people were just temporarily losing their heads, they really mean no harm. Just let them walk it off."

But I know Serena is somewhere with her feet up looking at a flat screen, shaking her head and saying, "Ain't this a bitch." Welcome to America folks, land of many contradictions that suit the needs of the power brokers.

When Keeping it Racist at the Hookah Bar Goes Wrong

I haven't been in a nightclub or bar in quite some time, but I'm sure things haven't changed that much from my clubbin' days. I'm sure the guy who looks like somebody's perverted but-I'm-still-cool uncle still shows up sporting a jheri curl; and, I'm sure that the one drunk dude bound to catch a bad one every week, hasn't learned his lesson from his last beat-down. The years may change, but the characters stay the same, folks.

Speaking of which, checkout what happened to Kevin Morris, of West Haven, Connecticut, while out at a Hookah Bar last week. No joke, this is one of those "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong" skits straight out of Chappelle Show; only difference, this isn't some well written hilarious made up sketch for TV.

Last Thursday Morris swaggered into the Fire & Ice Hookah Lounge on Campbell Avenue in West Haven. Just what happened next isn't entirely clear since there appears to be only one press account of the incident -- and that one limited in detail. But after entering the Lounge, in the words of Amanda Pinto of the New Haven Register, Morris began "shout[ing] profanities and racial epithets at a group of black and Arabic people."

Pinto doesn't say what the epithets were. And it's not entirely clear what the clientele is or what kind of place the Fire & Ice Hookah Lounge is. But one thing's clear: it ain't a mosque. And while Middle East-themed and seemingly patronized by at least some people of Middle Eastern descent, the presence of the belly dancers, "Gina" and "Katie," who perform on Friday evenings, suggests that if it caters to Muslims, it's not for the particularly devout [..]

[...] In any case, Morris comes into the Lounge shouting his epithets, apparently really drunk and at some point tries to grab the bartender by the throat or strangle him or something. But things did not go well for Morris. The folks in the establishment were not interested in that kind of an evening and proceeded to administer Morris a serious beating. As Pinto put it, Morris "was punched in the face by at least one of the people he was shouting at" and when police finally arrived he was "bleeding profusely from the face."

Morris was treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital and charged with 3rd degree intimidation due to bias and 2nd degree breach of peace. He is still in police custody. (source)

 I'm not a violent person, nor do I condone acts of violence; but, I damn sure wish I could have been there to witness this. Seeing some drunk idiot get knocked the fuck out in a bar or club is way better than must see TV.

Sadly, I'm pretty sure this clown didn't learn anything, and it's good to know that he'll live to receive another asswhoopin, at another day and time. Oh well, you know what they say: punks jump up to get beatdown:

Orayne Williams: From Kingston, Jamaica; to a Homeless Shelter; Now to College

Anyone one who knows me will tell you that I have a soft spot for the homeless, and downtrodden. Often, I bring to light the everyday madness on this site; but today, here's some reality with an awesome ending.

So, check out the story of Orayne Williams (pictured above), and how he overcame serious odds to be granted a full ride college scholarship just about a month ago. Hopefully you'll find this inspirational:

Homeless high school grad Orayne Williams is getting the ride of his life - a full scholarship to a four-year college.

Abandoned by his family and living alone in a Brooklyn shelter, Williams, 18, excelled at school with a 91 average at Bedford Academy in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The Daily News broke his story on June 15, and since then, he's received more than $15,000 in scholarship money from readers.

Now, Manhattanville College in Purchase, Westchester County, has offered Williams a slot and a promise to cover any expenses he can't pay.

"I was speechless," said Williams. "I didn't think it was going to happen, but it did."

Born into a poor family outside Kingston, Jamaica, Williams was sent to live in Florida alone at age 12. In 2007, he was reunited with his mother and half sister at a Brooklyn homeless shelter.

In November, his mother kicked him out, and city Education Department social worker Wayne Harris found him a spot at a shelter for young men in Williamsburg.

Williams still managed to do well, taking three Advanced Placement classes, earning an A average, and winning a spot at an upstate two-year community college on scholarship.

All that changed after Manhattanville College President Molly Easo Smith read Williams' story in The News. "His hunger for education really meant something to me," said Smith. "It touched a nerve."

Although Smith didn't know if Manhattanville would be able to pay Williams' way, she encouraged him to apply.

Last Tuesday, Smith learned that the school had enough scholarship money available to cover Williams' expenses, which will work out to about $47,000 a year.

She called Harris - and that night the social worker broke the news to Williams at a support meeting for homeless teens. The room erupted into thunderous applause.

"I felt like I hit a 3-point jump shot," said Harris. "I clenched my fist, like, 'Yes!'" (source)

Williams will be moving to Westchester this month to attend the college, where he plans to major in biology. "Of course I'll miss Brooklyn, but I'll be back," Williams said. "Life is just taking its course."

Having worked and volunteered in homeless shelters in recent years, this story really warms my heart. More than anything, what really bugs you when in the shelter environment, are the faces of the many kids you encounter. It's truly a hard-knock-life for many of them, and breaks such as this one doesn't come too often...

Especially for a kid from the Caribbean with similar circumstances.

To understand how poverty affects the education of children CLICK HERE!

The Friday Sex Blog [The Job Nobody Wanted]

A Brief History of the Vibrator

As far back as 1653, when physician Pieter van Foreest published a treatise on women’s diseases, women’s sexuality has been sorely misunderstood. To be sure, sexually frustrated women were viewed as suffering from “hysteria” (literally, “womb disease”). van Foreest prescribed what would become known as “vulvular massage” -- suggesting that a midwife or doctor could cure “hysterical” women through “the massaging of the genitalia with one finger inside,” using “oil of lilies, musk root, crocus, or [something] similar.”

This was nothing new. In the Western medical tradition, bringing women to orgasm via genital massage by a physician or midwife was a standard treatment for hysteria, an illness considered both chronic and common in women. Descriptions of this treatment appear as early as Hippocrates and in the first and second centuries, A.D. It’s interesting that very little attention has been paid to a medical treatment for a complaint that is no longer defined as a disease but that from at least the fourth century B.C. until the American Psychiatric Association dropped the term in 1952 was known mainly as hysteria.

The fact is that all the symptomology (<-- new word LOL!) described what is consistent with normal female sexuality, for which relief, not surprisingly, was gained through orgasm, either through intercourse, of by means of a massage on the physician’s table. That normal female sexual functioning was described as a disease can be laid at the feet of a society in which sexuality is seen almost exclusively through a male-dominated (androcentric) perspective. Androcentric (<-- new word!) views not only shaped the definition of sexuality, and their consequences for women, but also the instruments designed to cope with these so-called diseases.