| Educational programs in most correctional centers, including those in Illinois, are centered around the G.E.D.--the diploma of General Educational Development--a battery of five tests in English, Mathematics, Science, Reading, and the Social Sciences. In Illinois, there is also a sixth test, one covering the United States and Illinois Constitution.;The major aim of this dissertation is to present a study guide for the Constitution, one specifically designed for the inmate population. There are several study aids available to junior and senior high schools for use in reviewing both the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions and preparing a student for a final examination. There are also a few designed for adult populations, but none of these guides are aimed at the incarcerated student. Most of the available study guides simply prepare the student to answer the sixty-question exam by presenting a minimal amount of information in a capsulized easily-read format. These guides contain the same, basic information--the usual dates, terms of office, qualifications, and duties--all requiring simple role memorization. Even the official curriculum guidelines distributed to all Illinois correctional centers, adult and juvenile, emphasize these lists of facts. There is little, if any, explanation of the concepts within the document. Little thought is given to retention and understanding the information; one need only pass the test. There is a need, I believe, for a study guide specifically aimed at a special student population like those at Pontiac.;The Constitution is a "living document." In order to make the document understandable and relevant to an incarcerated male student, the teacher must demonstrate how the Constitution relates to the student's special circumstances. A review of the intellectual history of the document, as well as a review of relevant Supreme Court decisions, will demonstrate to the inmate the document's workability. Most inmates have a negative attitude towards the law and the court system. A good study guide could dispel some of these misconceptions.;The Constitution test, however, is dismissed by many educators as that "other test." They consider it unimportant and tell their students, "I'll give you a study sheet for that." As a result, the Constitution takes a back seat to other, supposedly more serious, subjects. The study of the Constitution should be far more than just a review of facts, dates, and names. |
