Some women’s prisons in the United States offer classes(1) for college(2) credit. But when the prisoners are released(3), they may not have(4) much chance to continue their education.
In two thousand, a woman named(5) Barbara Martinsons started a program to help these former(6) prisoners. She established(7) the College and Community Fellowship(8).
Ms. Martinsons taught(9)
at Manhattan Marymount College in New York City. She has also taught
college courses at a women’s prison in New York state. The College and
Community Fellowship provides(10) advice(11) to former prisoners. It also helps them gain(12) admission to college.
That process can be very difficult for anyone(13), let alone(14) a person with a prison record(15). The group also provides financial aid(16) to members attending(17) college.
Members of the College and Community Fellowship are called CCF Fellows(18). Some have earned(19) not only college degrees(20) but master’s degrees(21) and a doctorate(22).
Selina Fulford has already(23) earned one master’s degree and is working on her second. She is now an adjunct(24) professor at the College of New Rochelle in New York state. About(25) seventy percent of those in the program work full time(26) while(27) studying.
Nationally, one-third of women who have been in prison are later(28) sent back(29) for committing other crimes or violating the terms of their release.
By comparison(30), almost(31) none of(32) the CCF fellows have been sent back behind bars(33). The Reverend Vivian Nixon, a minister, heads(34) the College and Community Fellowship.
She once(35) spent time(36) in prison for falsifying documents. She says the group helps people reclaim(37) the goals they had for their lives before going to jail(38).
You don’t have to just(39) accept(40) any job — at a fast-food restaurant or cleaning up(41) a hotel or cleaning up the streets, she says. As she puts it(42), “You can still(43) have desires(44) and goals(45), and we are going to help you meet(46) those desires and goals”.
About two hundred seventy people are in the program. The group holds meetings(47) where the women talk about subjects like(48) personal(49) finance and developing a career(50), and there is a social hour.
Vivian Nixon says society in general(51) is happiest when the women do not go back to jail. But she says her greatest hope(52) is that members of the fellowship members are setting(53) high goals for themselves and their children(54).
We have more stories about education programs for people in or out of prison. You can find(55) them, along with other(56)
reading and listening materials for learning English, at
voaspecialenglish.com. For VOA Special English, I’m Carolyn Presutti.
(Adapted from a radio program broadcast
VOCABULARY
1. offer classes = oferecem aulas 2. college = faculdade] 3. released = soltos] 4. may not have = podem não ter 5. named = chamada 6. former = ex 7. established = estabeleceu 8. Fellowship = associação 9. Taught = ensinava 10. Provides = fornece 11. Advice = aconselhamento 12. Gain = ganhar 13. Anyone = qualquer um 14. let alone = “e muito menos” 15. record = registro 16. financial aid = auxilio financeiro 17. attending = cursando 18. Fellows = companheiro, camarada 19. Earned = ganharam 20. college degrees = graus universitarios 21. master's degrees = mestrado 22. doctorate = doutorado 23. already = já 24. adjunct = auxiliar, adjunto 25. About = aproximadamente 26. full time = tempo integral 27. while = enquanto 28. later = mais tarde 29. sent back = enviadas de volta 30. By comparison = em comparação 31. Almost = quase 32. none of = nenhum dos 33. behind bars = atrás das grades 34. heads = chefia 35. once = uma vez 36. spent time = passou tempo 37. reclaim = reivindicar 38. before going to jail = antes de ir para a cadeia 39. just = simplesmente 40. accept = aceitar 41. cleaning up = limpeza, limpar 42. As she puts it = como ela coloca (apresenta) 43. Still = ainda 44. Desires = desejos 45. Goals = objetivos 46. Meet = satisfazer 47. holds meetings = realiza reuniões 48. subjects like = assuntos como 49. personal = pessoal 50. developing a career = desenvolver uma carreira 51. in general = em geral 52. greatest hope = maior esperança 53. setting = estabelecendo 54. children = filhos 55. find = encontrar 56. along with other = junto com outros