Delighted to read (Villager 12/21/23 page A7] about AU Graduation at ALDoC’s Staton facility which included APAEP (Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project) students I taught years ago. Blessed to have many students from tutoring, high school, thousands of undergraduates to international officers at the Air War College during 30+ years teaching. Among the most rewarding; teaching these attentive, hard-working prison students who genuinely appreciated the effort. I’ve written Alabama Gazette columns on APAEP and applauded former State Senator Cam Ward’s efforts to address the prison crisis in our State. APAEP can be an integral part of attenuating this mess. Ward clearly understands the long-run benefit/return from programs of this sort via reduced recidivism and DoC expenditures.
I’m merely a lowly instructor dedicated to teach appreciative students wherever I can. The true ‘heavy-lifting’ was exerted by outstanding AU administrators like Kyes Stevens, my elected Dept. Chair (Prof. Michael Stern) and up to then President Gogue. From my vantage point this noble teaching endeavour would’ve disappeared from AU years ago without Gogue’s support. Of course, DoC Commissioner Jefferson Dunn was visionary in this regard, he also understood APAEP could be an integral part of responding to our prison crisis. I’ll never forget how accommodating Commissioner Dunn and other officers were to allow me ‘office hours’ with my students before class — during lunch/class breaks in some of the hottest temps I’ve ever taught. No doubt some accused me of being foolish… guilty as charged.
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