Education is for prisoners, too

By Ashton Hoselton, Warren Township High School ’11, Pitzer College ‘15

My name is Ashton Hoselton and I am an alumna of the Schuler Scholar Program, Warren Township High School Class of 2011, and a recent graduate of Pitzer College. Before Schuler, I never considered going to college, but Schuler taught me the value and importance of education.  They taught me that the sky is the limit if one keeps studying and I continue to see the value of education in my work today.

I am currently on a Fulbright in Uganda conducting research on their prison system. I have been teaching and conducting research in prisons both in the U.S. and Uganda for the past four years. The research is clear, prison education reduces recidivism. I have spoken with many former prisoners who shared their personal stories with me and attributed much of their success to the opportunity to educate themselves further. 

However, in Uganda only a small number of prisoners receive education. It is not a lack of willing participants or even a lack of instructors; the problem is a lack of facilities. It is my hope that I will go beyond simply studying the Ugandan prison system and make a positive impact by building an educational facility within the Masaka Town Prison. I have already started to raise funds for the project and developed a network of professors, NGOs, legal activists and prison officials that are willing to ensure that the construction of the project is made possible.

The potential impact of this project is huge as it not only makes a positive impact on the prisoners and the culture of the prison, but benefits their families, reduces overall crime, and turns them into skilled assets in their community.  Masaka Town Prison houses 1,300 inmates and sees many times that number of inmates coming and going each year. This one educational building can provide classes for thousands and thousands of prisoners and have a dramatic impact in Uganda.

Schuler taught me the importance of education. I want to continue to promote this ideal through this construction project that will make education a possibility for many that may not have considered it before. I invite you to learn more about my research and the Masaka Town Prison Project by visiting http://igg.me/at/Eu35pKCQp-Q.