Off to Jail I Go!

imagesOn Monday, I went to jail. 

I started teaching a writing course at the new Richmond city jail, properly known as the Richmond Justice Center. I have thirteen inmates in my class, all men, ages 61 to late twenties, and the course lasts ten weeks. After that, I’ll repeat the same format for the female inmates. I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as ability, but the men are all very appreciative and eager to learn. This isn’t a class with grades or tests. My goal is that each student will improve his writing so that he’ll become a little more eligible for a job when he gets out. We’ll see how it goes.