The Internal-External Change-Agent Team: Bringing Change to a "Closed Institution"

Abstract

A collaborative change effort between a corrections system and education is not a frequent occurrence. A successful effort is perhaps even less frequent. However, the following Case Study on a County Jail does represent such an experience. At the request of the sheriff of the Berkshire County (Massachusetts) House of Corrections, the University of Massachusetts staff was brought into the institution to function as a catalyst for changing the otherwise hostile and indifferent environment into an environment where staff and inmates worked together to facilitate reintegration into the community. A detailed and well-designed evaluation sponsored by the National Institute of Corrections is now underway, and their report will be available this Fall by writing to the authors.