Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-17
PRISON EDUCATION
BEGINS WEDNESDAY
New Program Under ). A.
Capps To Center in
Wake Camps First
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
In The Sir Walter Hotel.

Raleigh, July 1.-THE new education
al program for prisoners III the state
Prison division will be actively laun-
ched Monday and Tuesday, It was an
rounced here today by Educational
Director ]. A. Capps, formerly county
superintendent of schools in CataWba
county, who tcok over his new du-
ties July l. For the past two weeks
Mr.. Capps has been visiting the va
rious prison units and prison camps,
talking with the camp superlntend-
ents, the wardens and the prisoners
and comforting with other agencies
which are going to assist him, such as
the educational division of the WPA,
the NYA, state College officials and
others.
The frs. active work to be done
under the new program will be con-
fined for the time being to only two
prison units, the womens prison unit
where the women convicted of felonles
are kept, and the Camp Polk prison
farm near Cary, both here in Wake
county, Mr.. Capps said. The teach
ers for both projects will be supplied
by the educational division of the
WPA, and by the National Youth
Administration.
The new program for the women's
prison will begin Monday and will be
more of a recreational nature during
the summer months than educational,
since it has been decided to postpone
most of the purely educational phases
of the program until fall, Mr. Capps
said Various recreatiOnal and handi-
craft groups will be organized among
the women prisoners and instruction
will be given in organized recreation
and in the making of games that can
be used by the women prisoners, also
in the development of planned re-
creation of various sorts after work.
ing hours Glasses will also be or
ganized in handicrafts, such as sew
ing, knitting, crocheting, basket
weaving clay modelling and so forth.
After comforting with the prison Of
ficials and camp superintendent, it
was decided to limit the program for
the rest of the summer months to &C
tivities that will be more or less re-
irrational in nature, since the pris-
oners, men as we'll as women, are
pretty well tired out when they have
finished their required work these
UoJo MI. OdpPS SdIO' 4AIS was IuC
reason we decided not to undertake
any, educational work at all in the
various road camps over the state
until fall, since it was agreed that the
men would be too tired to get any
benefit from classes if they should be
held during the hot summer months"
This fall classes will be formed for
the women prisoners in reading, writ
ing, arithmetic, also in other sub
jects, while plans are being develop
ed for vocational work in sewing,
cooking, and possibly in beauty cul-
ture. Both Mr.. Capps and prisons Di-
rector Oscar Pitts feel that it will be
decidedly beneficial to teach the wo-
men prisoners now to improve their
looks zand their general appearance
and that it will enable some of them
to make living when they are re-
leased from prison.
Tuesday night a general conference
meeting will be held at the Camp Polk
prison farm with the $50 or more
youthful white prisoners there rang
ing from 16 to % years of age, at
which time the program will be ex-
planned to the prisoners, Mr.. Caps
SAID. The various teachers will also
be there and the prisoners will be
given an opportunity to enroll in the
classes they are most interested in.
Three classes in elementary subjects.
one in reading, one in writing and one
In arithmetic, will be organized for
prisoners who have not yet completed
the fourth grade, Mr.. Capps said,
while additional classes for prisoners
who are more advanced, will also be
organized. These classes will meet
only two or three times a week dur
ing the summer months, will prob
ably meet four or five times a week
this fall when cooler weather comes
and when he prisoners will have long
er evenings and more leisure.
When the enlarged educational
program gets under way this fall, we
plan to organize classes in dairving
horticulture, agriculture and other sub
Jects related to agriculture, which
VIII be taught either by State College
professors or by advanced students
from State College," Mr.. Capps said.
I'VE also plan other vocational
courses that will help prisoners earn
hving when they get out of prison."