Considering how terrible many kids behave in school sending prisoners to teach them might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

So many inner city schools are nothing but boot camps for criminals I can't see sending in pros to teach them bad habits. Even white collar criminals weren't smart enough to avoid jail.

There's always been an argument as to whether incarceration is for penalty or reform. I'm pretty much in the penalty camp.

I think prison should be completely without anything to do. If you give them a job, let them interact socially (and with young girls to boot) and still give them a warm bed and three squares, how is this bad? Can I go to prison too?

Dear SAND, JASHEM and HRENCH,Thanks for such thoughtful comments.That was a great point! That even lawyers and accountants think they'r too smart to get caught and learn better; that could have a powerful effect on those many terribly-behaving kids. And I wonder whether whether HRENCH has considere SAND's thought that the way those guys behave in school sending prisoners to teach them might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.It seems to me this is such a waste! Guys who know automotive repair, plumbing could teach the bookwork over a closed circuit setup and a shop teacher could teach the hands-on stuff. Or a lawyer (all those years of education vegetating!It's more our loss than his)could teach history or English and the novelty of it might attract some of the hard cases and lead them down a different road.

Traditionally, teachers are one of the most important role models in a child's life, up their with police officers and parents. Why would you want a prisoner filling that role? There are certainly other jobs we could give prisoners if worried their potential going to waste.

Criminals do not belong near kids. There are plenty of law abiding citizens who could do a better job teaching. Perhps I would make an expcetion for otherwise law abiding illegal immigrants. We could create a better employment situation for teachers aides, attract capable people, and it would cost less that certified teachers. Prisoners might be better suited to: consulting in their area of expertise, janitorial work, environmental cleanup, data entry, even fighting terrorism... on this note I find it ironic that many ex-cons find work in carnivals, where people bring their... children.

risky idea...if your ex-con teacher was way cool, wouldn't you aspire to be just like him?

A teacher is an authority figure that has a considerable degree of power over their pupils. Would you want a convicted criminal to have power over your child?

There seems to be a negative slant to the comments above, so maybe the idea could be downplayed a bit by inviting prisoners to give talks to schools on how they got where they got and the punishment they experienced. Maybe this would deter some pupils from going down the wrong path. Of course, it may have the opposite affect. I belive it's just a matter of choosing the right prisoner to give the talk.

They could video Skype (using a modified interface) into Afghanistan or other countries to teach young adults there English or basic skills. Recording and monitoring of the session by other inmates would ensure proper behavioral standards.

Your just going to have bad cases like pedos teach and mark potential targets, gang members recruitment programs, past victims transfering to those schools just for revenge. Instead have them trained athletically and recruited for cheap to sport teams with a one chance probation offer.