Manners? Criminal behavior and reintegration has nothing to do with manners. It's about accountability for ones self in a socially acceptable way. Something that is supposed to be taught at a young age by competant (sp) parents. Sociopaths like polititians and car salesman are examples of polite criminals. By the way, what is this program costing you and I?

JOHN

Why not, most of them probably never learned any of what they are teaching them and thus the reason they are in jail. It's better than just having them sit around all day watching tv. Even if only one person learns something and it turns their life around it is a success.

That is right up there with the "Hugs for Thugs" program at the Washington State Penitentiary for inmates from Eastern Washington

To begin with there is not enough information about the evaluation study for me to arrive at a conclusion about the programs effectiveness. Statements like five percent less likely typically refer to a reduction in likelihood for everyone in a group and do not represent simply five percent of the inmates. Such analyses can also inform us about who is more or less likely to benefit from a program, and that information is much more valuable in designing effective interventions. In the absence of a control or comparison group one cannot accurately assess the impact of a program so this information would allow readers to arrive at a better informed judgment about the program.

On to the more substantive point. Well over 90% of inmates will return to our communities and be our neighbors and co-workers. In the case of misdemeanor inmates it is 100% of them. It is important to prepare them to return to our communities as the best citizens they can be, so a program that teaches them the skills they need to succeed in society should not be dismissed out of hand. Bear in mind that this program seems to be teaching skills, not probing inmates psyches to find excuses for their behavior, and with skills comes the accountability to use them. We need to move beyond our thinking about inmates as "not one of us" and come to grips with the reality that most inmates will indeed be back in society as "one of us" and understand our interest in helping them positively integrate into society.

I believe its a good concept but if the prisioners are the ones who want to change then we should implicate it, but as of right now, the inmates do not want to change for when they re enter society, so why are we using the tax dollars to teach them something when it will go in one ear and out the other? You have to want to change to get help, if you force it upon someone they will never learn the importance of it.

I believe its a good concept but if the prisioners are the ones who want to change then we should implicate it, but as of right now, the inmates do not want to change for when they re enter society, so why are we using the tax dollars to teach them something when it will go in one ear and out the other? You have to want to change to get help, if you force it upon someone they will never learn the importance of it.

Perhaps if these individuals had been taught manners and respect for others when they were growing up, they wouldn't be leading a life of crime today. Their parents have failed them in that respect big time.

But most of these individuals had parents who were criminals, addicts and/or unwed mothers who couldn't raise a hamster, let alone a child.

Sounds like a good idea. Weren't most of us taught manners by our parents? And why? So we could live in a civilized manner in this world. Amanzing what please and thank you can do.

Etiquette is defined as, "socially correct behavior." Isn't it socially incorrect behavior that landed inmates in prison in the first place? If one inmate was helped to become a better person through the "Right Living" program then the program is a success. So far, as the article states, the program has helped five percent of the individuals intended for the program. Then looking at the glass as being half-full, "Right Living" is moving in the right direction.

These inmates, as children, not having been provided with the fundamental foundation of being parented correctly from the start, and/or not being provided with a positive role model, is primarily where they really, through no fault of their own, were damned. Consequently, they had not learned "socially correct behavior," and have, not surprisingly, landed in the prison system.

If there are truly, as Randy's article suggests, Spokane residents "cracking jokes" about any one of the 600 minimum-security inmates participating in the "Right Living" program wherein they will learn manners, (i.e., correct social behavior), respect and work ethic, this not something this community should be proud of. Those mocking, or otherwise denying, anybody the right to become a better person have bigger problems than the inmates ever will.

Just another way for someone to bilk the goverment out of our tax dollars.Teach them a trade or skill so they have something to do when they get out.By the way,who voted on this stupid idea??Oh yah,no one.

It is my opinion that it will work in some cases. I think reform is the answer. My son is incarcerated at Airway Heights and you would not believe how some of the prisoners act let alone thier families during visitation. However, it is a two way street. It is the responsibility of Airway Heights correctional staff as well as the counselors to make sure that inmates are programming (working, going to groups/classes, or getting an education) and not just sitting in a cell taking up space and causing disrespectful problems with other inmates as well as staff. Since this does seem to be a problem at Airway Heights maybe the DOC is correct in helping them implement such a program. Its a beginnning. Its therapeutic.

I think this is a great program that will assist offenders to get out and become productive members of society, even if only a few. People forget that they are humans with feelings to and the prison was established to rehabilitate them not just get rid of them.

Think this is a great idea to assist in the helping offenders to become productive members of society. People forget that they are humans too and that the prison system was set up to rehabilitate them - not get rid of them.

Accuracy (especially in Spokane’s media) has always taken a back seat to whatever sells. Assuming you’ve done your research thoroughly (ha ha) it’s interesting that you can pick a minute part of a story and make it the WHOLE story. Do you have a better plan?

I say every little bit helps... If you treat someone like they're trash... most likely they'll act like trash. (Where do you think they learned their misbehavior in the first place?)

HAHAHA I can see it now -- KREM will be reporting "Polite robber holds up Zip Trip". Quoting the future robber "Excuse me but I have a gun and I really need your money but before I shoot you dead I'll let you call your family first, Thanks ! and have a good funeral."

You can't teach a criminal how to be productive in society, that is why they are criminals.

I say if you have to teach inmates right living, then they didn't serve enough time for their "wrong living"

This is Randy Shaw passing along a call I received from Robert Leavitt who says he spent 33 years in prison. His comment was giving a manners program to inmates "is like giving a Big Mac to Jeffrey Dahmer to cure canibalism." It doesn't work. He says he changed because he just didn't like who he was anymore and that to really change one has to accept responsiblity for one's actions. Thanks for the comments Robert and to the rest of you.

I want to know what happened to HARD LABOR??? I am a single mom of 15 years, went through some hard times, was homeless, went hungery, sold plasma for over two years to feed my children. Got little to NO financial help from my exhusband. Someone told me to do something wrong so I could go to jail and have free room and board. Now one of my daughters is 20 years old, unemployed and has no health care insurance, should she do something wrong to get free room, board and health care. Those inside the prison walls have it better than some of us struggling to keep our head above water out here. IF WE BROUGHT BACK HARD LABOR, criminals would think twice about doing the wrongs they do. Hurray, for overcrowding, prison isn't suppose to be comfortable now is it?

if we are going 2 put them in jail for stupid stuff like missing a visit with a probation officer or not paying child support they might as well get offered something back. And as a society we need to give petty criminals a break if they are willing to change. many criminals havent ever had any manners taught to them as children anyways so how does it hurt?

Acccording to Robert Leavitt, who was a 33-year veteran of our prison system, for an inmate to change, that inmate must want to change. I agree with that statement. I also think that teaching manners is a good idea. If an inmate is to change, that person must have some guidelines, and proper ideas about how to change. If there is no framework, the self-motivated change will collapse, and old, anti-social behaviors will reassert themselves. Let's give these people the opportunity to redeem themselves, and have a chance to be productive, law-abiding citizens when they get out of prison.

Acccording to Robert Leavitt, who was a 33-year veteran of our prison system, for an inmate to change, that inmate must want to change. I agree with that statement. I also think that teaching manners is a good idea. If an inmate is to change, that person must have some guidelines, and proper ideas about how to change. If there is no framework, the self-motivated change will collapse, and old, anti-social behaviors will reassert themselves. Let's give these people the opportunity to redeem themselves, and have a chance to be productive, law-abiding citizens when they get out of prison.

I think that this is a great idea because where do these guys go when they get out I will tell you where they go next store and in places that we all go. So we spend $500,000.00 to start this program is that a lot in the big picture I don’t think so. We waste that on roads that don’t need to be fixed all the time. From the sounds of most of these blog the writers don’t really understand that that 5% Have children that deserve respect, wives that deserve respect, and friends that deserve respect. So let’s take the inmates out of it and focus on the other people that it will have a positive effect on. I think that is worth the price of the overpriced roads that we have, don’t you
So I hope it does well I don’t just think that this program teaches manners I think it will teach a new way to live and respect others. In my opinion If 5% of these guys get out and become good fathers and husbands it is well worth it.

$500,000 tax dollars to provide 600 prisoners with etiquette training? That is $833 per prisoner. I didn't know that was the going rate for training a silver-tongued-devil.

This money would be better spent on the front-end to prevent kids from ending up in prison.

Am I the only one that remembers Kevin Coe's mother was an etiquette teacher? Her etiquette expertise helped her raise Spokane's most notorious rapist. Not to be outdone by her son, she went on to get herself a little notoriety by putting hits on a judge and a prosecutor.

I agree with Randy Shaw. Good grief we need more in the justice system like Sheriff Joe in Marcopia County in Arizona. These are criminals for God's sake. Teaching them manners? Why not give them some reasons not to want to make jail their second home. I know a few of these thugs from around this city who have exactly that thinking, free room and board in the cold. I say start deterring the behavior more with tougher living arrangements rather than these "feel good" programs! Enough of this socialist do gooder nonsense. Lets start treating them like the criminals they are. If they make the choice to end up in these facilities, then lets stop paying our hard earned tax dollars by making it a nice easy life inside for them.

I, for one, think it is a very good program. We Americans don't work hard enough to help "reform" and "re-educate" our prison populations. That IS what one thought behind prison terms IS! If it weren't, then every crime would carry a life sentence! The vast majority of these people in prison weren't just born rotten, they are the products of homes and histories that weren't not stable and secure - backgrounds that did NOT equip them to deal with life effectively. If we can help them by giving them lessons in "etiquette" as you call it, then aren't we also better off for it? I just can't imagine being against that or scoffing at it. I'm kind of surprised at your opinion on this, Randy...

This is about more than just 'manners'.

It is about a new way of living.

Inmates often come from living situations where they only know one way - the ghetto urban life style of the drug addict and criminal.

This 'Right Living' at least exposes them to way of behaving that would help them fit in with a 'normal' society environment.

There chances of success are limited when they only know how to speak, an treat people, as they did in their gangs and on the street.

The gov. waste"S too much on programing,it"s A waste of taxpayer dollars.Teach them A trade so when they do get they"ll have tools they can actually use.Give them A decent job,and you"ll find A lot less will come back!!

If you help one person, then you have made a difference.