It seems the "self-esteem-is-more-important-than-skill" mantra has reached outside the public schools, and into another sort of institution entirely:
In a policy shift so irrational it could only have been designed by the state prison guards union, 300 vocational education classrooms in state prisons California - where else?] were shuttered at the beginning of the year. This might be understandable if it were a cost-cutting move, but the state is saving little or nothing by closing the courses. The instructors who formerly provided inmates a chance to succeed in the outside world are now conducting self-esteem "modules" instead. These use workbooks hammering the sort of feel-good lessons that some prison experts believe increase, not decrease, recidivism (one can imagine the resulting thought process of an inmate — "I'm gonna be the best darned crook I can be!").
Because, as we all know, low self-esteem is the root of all evil, and never mind all those studies suggesting that inflated self-esteem and narcissism are highly related to both juvenile and adult crime.
I found this part to be particularly interesting:
The self-esteem lessons came out of talks between prison officials and the guards union last year. Cynics say its doomed-to-failure approach was intentional — that it was crafted in consultation with guards who either didn't believe prisoners could be rehabilitated or who didn't want something that might diminish their job prospects by lowering recidivism.
Hmmm, let's see, employees of an public institution deliberately putting ineffective programs in place in order to guarantee themselves a job - sound familiar?
I don't know about you, but I'll sleep much easier at night knowing that the burglar who's casing my house feels really good about himself.
Posted by kswygert at August 3, 2004 10:34 AM