Inmates In Florida Jail

Buju Banton to pursue Master's Degree while in prison

Internationally acclaimed Reggae artiste, Mark “Buju Banton” Myrie may not enjoy freedom for as many as 10 years, but it has not deterred his will to learn.

Whilst spending time a U.S federal prison, Buju intends to pursue his Master’s Degree & claims that he’s already started attending classes when incarcerated in the he Pinellas County Jail in Tampa, Florida. Buju told the Jamaica Observer following his sentencing hearing on Thursday, "I am already going to classes. I have passed the acceptance test and I will be studying political science and economics. I hope to get a master's by the time I am released.”

The pursuit of higher education could greatly benefit Buju once he’s released from prison study by the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York suggested that inmates taking classes in prison are four times more likely to stay clear of trouble once released.

As for Buju’s mental state with regards to his lengthy prison stay, Buju told the Observer that he would remain strong under the pressure & will try to make the best out of a very difficult situation. "I can do anything I put my mind to; you know that. I have balls of steel. People who know me know that I am very determined and will achieve my goals despite hardships. I will not allow the system to conquer me,” the “Destiny” singer intimated. Buju also called for his fans & loved ones to be strong during his time away. "Even though the days ahead may be filled with despair, I will prevail over this malady that has befallen me. I may be down but not out and I shall return,” Buju said.

Buju Banton was handed a ten year sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to organize a drug deal in a police controlled warehouse in Florida in December 2009. However, Buju’s lawyer, David Markus implied that Buju could be out in six years for good behavior given that he’d be credited the 18 months he already served in the Pinellas County Jail in Tampa prior to his sentencing.

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Dogs Serving As Students and Teachers For Inmates in Florida Prison

Dogs Serving As Students and Teachers For Inmates in Florida Prison System

WEWAHITCHKA, Florida — The dogs roaming the grounds of this rural prison can sit, stay, heel and come on command. What else can they do? They can teach.

Just ask Popeye Lyon, an inmate who spent eight weeks with “Pluto”:

“My confidence in myself has grown. I face each day wondering what I can accomplish before the sun goes down. I feel I can face any situation presented to me, and deal with it appropriately.”

Lyon is among dozens of medium-security inmates at the Gulf County Correctional Institution Forestry Camp who have volunteered to participate in DAWGS In Prison, a program of the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society in cooperation with the Florida Department of Corrections.

Funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund’s Port St. Joe Capacity Building Fund, DAWGS has a dual mission: to increase the adoption rate of dogs at the Humane Society’s shelter, and to help inmates develop skills that will enhance their employability and citizenship upon release.

“The program teaches the inmates self-control,” said Lt. Margaret Hayes, one of the officers at the prison. “It keeps them busy, keeps their mind occupied.”

But it does much more than that, according to Correctional Officer Donna Haddock, who works closely with the prisoners in the program.

“When these guys first come in here, they are hard, they have a lot of walls around them,” she said. “But when they get involved with the dogs, their physical presence changes, they soften, their faces soften, their whole demeanor changes. It turns them into mush. Then maybe they’ve got their hearts and heads in the right place.”

There is social science and structure, as well as emotion, behind the DAWGS program.

First, inmates must submit a formal application to participate in the program. They then face a review and interview process not unlike what they will encounter when applying for a job. Once accepted into the program, they start on the bottom rung of a complex hierarchy, not unlike the organizational chart of an ordinary workplace.

Each dog is supported by a team of three to four inmates. At the bottom of the heirarchy are the Caretakers, who bathe the dog and keep its kennel clean. The Handler helps with exercise and recreation. And the Trainer is just that, the one who trains the dog, but also the one who trains the other inmates on his team.

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