A Vision to Help
Idaho Correctional Center’s braille initiative one of the best
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Braille is a tactile reading system that helps the blind and visually impaired receive information, which enables them to participate more fully in many aspects of daily living.
According to the National Federation of the Blind, there are approximately 1.3 million Americans considered legally unable to see. While most of these persons adapt and fashion productive lives, it is, naturally, a task.
Did you know that the majority of braille transcription occurs in correctional facilities? CCA's Idaho Correctional Center is a major contributor in reducing the challenges of the visually impaired. The facility began a braille initiative in 2002 and, to date, has completed more than 2,100 projects, totaling well over a half million pages of embossed material.
Inmate Robert Hall spearheaded the program.
“I had glaucoma due to diabetes and was going blind,” he says. “I thought I might as well be prepared. Being in prison is bad. Being in prison blind is worse.”
Hall’s diabetes came under control and he retains his vision, which has allowed him to mentor the 41 inmates who have become certified transcriptionists. However, there are rarely openings in the program; at any given time there are around 20 inmates participating.
Marshall Bautista, facility coordinator for the program, says, “Our team comes from a full range of the resident population. To get started, you have to show interest. An inmate usually approaches someone already working. If the person is serious, his daily activity is observed and history reviewed.”
If an individual is deemed a candidate, his name is sent to the National Library Service (NLS), an arm of the Library of Congress. The NLS contracts with the National Federation of the Blind, which forwards the individual student materials.
Learning to transcribe is like learning a new language. It is quite an accomplishment for a resident to master the process. As the individual progresses through 34 chapters of work, less assistance is provided. Independence is the goal. The process can take up to a year to complete.
Once lessons are completed, the individual’s final exam is a several page manuscript, which is then submitted to the NLS for approval. If the candidate does not pass, after a waiting period, he may try again.
Following certification in literary braille, which includes products like textbooks, maps, business cards and manuals, participating inmates can advance their education and skills in topics like music, math, science and foreign languages. Getting certified in advanced work can take several years.
Transcribing with a melody
“Where am I going?” says Idaho Correctional Center inmate Donald Young with a chuckle.
He is one of 48 people in the country who can transcribe music. This is the most complex braille work. He has associate's and master's certifications. If it makes a sound, he can transcribe it.
“A short melody with a single instrument takes me a couple of hours," Young says. "A choral piece will be one or two days, and an orchestration can take weeks. You’re doing something when you go up against Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.”
The Idaho facility has advanced technology and a manual embosser. Program participants are proficient in the maintenance and repair of these machines, which saves money.
Partnering organizations supply the materials, which assists numerous Idaho state agencies and others, such as the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Children in California.
“Idaho Correctional Center saves us an incredible amount of money,” says Robin Swenson of the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind. “For example, a high-level math book like geometry or algebra, due to the graphics, can cost up to $5,000. An English textbook can be $500 to $800."
Wendy St. Michell, of the Idaho Department of Education, says, “Idaho Correctional Center does braille for the Idaho Standardized Achievement Tests (ISATs). The center delivers on time and does excellent work. Professional and proficient is the best way to describe them.”
Learning, Growing and Giving Back
Bautista says the inmates are highly dedicated and motivated. “If we stayed open for work 16 hours a day, every one of them would be on station. It is really inspiring.”
“I do it because it gives me a good sense of well-being,” says inmate Fred Huffman, who will be released in a few months and plans to make a living transcribing. “You gain a better appreciation for the blind. You can help make their lives better. I look forward to each day.”
“We have programs that put blind eyes back to work,” says Mary Ellen Halverson with the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “Idaho Correctional Center does materials for us, and I like to think we work as a team. We’re both helping in rehabilitation.”
Braille is an evolving and changing process. Recently, Bautista received a scholarship to attend the annual National Prison Braille Forum, where issues related to braille production facilities in corrections settings were discussed.
“We are extremely proud of what we do and want to stay at the forefront,” says Bautista. “This is a great program for our residents, and the results are so fulfilling."
Published December 27, 2011
Sound Out
Maria Stebbins at Saguaro Correctional Center:
What an interesting and challenging program for these inmates. Not to mention the asset to the blind community. Hats off to Marshall Bautista and ICC.
Bonnie Abernathy at NGDC:
What a productive way to not only teach new skills to the inmates and reduce idle time, but to give back to the community in such a powerful way! Wow! Keep up the great work....you are truley "teaching the blind to see!" =)