Christopher Zoukis recommends a different path for inmate rehabilitation in "Education Behind Bars"

Dec. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Camp Hill, PA - Sunbury Press has released "Education Behind Bars: A Win-Win Strategy for Maximum Security" by inmate and author Christopher Zoukis. The book is a complete how-to guide to distance education that is targeted for inmates but useful to any aspiring student.

"Don't be just another brick in the wall!  Chris Zoukis shows you how to find affordable distance education for any situation...Hundreds of schools are listed with all of the contact information..." ---- the Publisher

About the book:
Today, prison education is almost non-existent. Why does it matter? Because our failure to invest in opportunities for correctional college education weakens the very fabric of society. Christopher Zoukis explains the enormity of its impact, not just on prisoners, but on our entire society and our nation's prosperity, in the hope that greater understanding will result in wise legislative action for our common good. Prison education is a concept whose time has come. It is time to stop studying the issue and stop discoursing. It is time to start the ball rolling and do something about it!

About the author:
My name is Christopher Zoukis.  I am a prisoner, a student, and an educator at FCI-Petersburg, where I have embarked on a self-directed, intense, educational program, pursuing a college degree and, at the same time, writing about the subject of prison education.  In presenting the issue, I draw not only upon research in the field, but also upon my first-hand experience inside the world of prison, where I remain today.  

Several of the educational staff at prisons where I have been incarcerated have shown no interest in either rehabilitation or education for the prisoners in their correctional facilities. They appear, rather, to be focused on enforcing rules and avoiding additional work. I understand that's not an objective statement; it is merely what I have personally observed. And it is sad.  People in the educational profession should be working as much for passion as for a paycheck.

For the prisoner who longs to learn, the frustration and defeat compete with joy and victory. Three steps forward, two back. But it is still worth it. As a prisoner, I feel the world perceives me as worthless. The lowest of the low. It's a true and hard reality, and it can be depressing. I would be lost if it weren't for the projects I engage in to keep busy. And it would really get me down if I didn't believe I was doing something to turn myself around.

Within the confines of a prison, so much of who we are, our individuality, is stripped from us. Sometimes even our sanity. Education is my escape!  My studies carry me beyond prison gates to a world of exploration, discovery, challenge, and deep satisfaction. When I focus on developing my mind, rather than on my surroundings, I travel outside the prison world on a road to transformation. I become a different person, a better person. Education makes me feel as if I'm on my way to contributing something positive to society. With the skills I develop through education I hope to redeem myself.

The movement for prison education is not one touted by the mainstream media. It is not on the front pages of city newspapers, and it is not heard on NPR or other broadcast news programs. But if people care about saving taxpayers upwards of $60 billion to $70 billion per year, if they care about seriously reducing crime and making our communities safer, and if they care about strengthening the educational infrastructure of our nation -- not to mention the core transformation of damaged human beings into productive citizens – then we have got to be more aware and more active in the cause.

We need to build a community that includes prisoner-students, educators, legislators, policy-makers, and an informed public.  Toward that end, I invite you to read the Education Behind Bars Newsletter and my Prison Education Blog. Consider, also, subscribing to my RSS feed and following Twitter to keep current on my prison education efforts and prison education news as it breaks.  And, if you will e-mail me at, we’ll be sure to include you on my e-mail list. (all contact info below)

On both the newsletter and the blog, I welcome comments and writings examining a fuller understanding of the need for prison education and how to best implement innovative solutions.

If you are in prison and have access to TRULINCS or Corrlinks.com, you can also become a part of this growing community.  Just add EducationBehindBars@yahoo.com as an e-mail contact in order to receive electronic updates.

Let’s open the lines of communication!  Let’s hear the voices of the unknown prisoner-student, the prison educators, politicians, lawmakers, and John Q. Public. I am eager to hear from you, to answer your questions, to provide an educational clearing house of information, and to collaborate on projects that will further and promote the movement for prison education.

You can contact the author in various ways:
By mail: Christopher Zoukis, P.O. Box 1000, #22132-058, Petersburg, VA 23804, or
or: Education Behind Bars Newsletter, P.O. Box 69, Berryville, AR 72616
E-mail: ChriszZoukis@Gmail.com or EducationBehindBars@yahoo.com
On my website:  http://www.ChristopherZoukis.com or http://www.PrisonEducation.com
Twitter: Twitter @CZoukis

Education Behind Bars: A Win-WIn Strategy for Maximum Security
Authored by Christopher Zoukis
List Price: $19.95
8.5" x 11" (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
Black & White on White paper
382 pages (indexed)
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1934597774
ISBN-10: 1934597775
BISAC: Education / Distance Education & Learning

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypress.com/ebb.html

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Sunbury Press, Inc., headquartered in Camp Hill, PA is a publisher of trade paperback and digital books featuring established and emerging authors in many fiction and non-fiction categories. Sunbury's books are sold through leading booksellers worldwide.