“From my classroom in the penitentiary I discovered that behind the prison's walls existed a living city with a diverse population of over 2000 men. Each city resident had been judged, sentenced and given a defining identity as a prison inmate, yet the men I met there were entirely whole, dynamic human beings with talents, tragedies, and families similar to my own.”

— Lois Colton, author Teaching to a Captive Audience, Reflections from a Prison Educator

Lois Colton prison education and recidivism

Teaching to a Captive Audience: Reflections from a Prison Educator

A Memoir in Essays by Lois Colton

Within the thick concrete walls of Oregon’s oldest penal institution, Lois Colton taught high-security felony inmates for 20 years, gathering stories and insider observations that inspired the award-winning corrections educator to write Teaching to a Captive Audience—a thought-provoking memoir in essays that unveils the hidden world of a prison, and compels readers to reconsider the stereotypes they may hold of America’s 2.5 million incarcerated citizens.

Teaching to a Captive Audience: Reflections from a Prison Educator

Most books written about the topics of mass incarceration or criminal justice are quite gritty and dark. Teaching to a Captive Audience is different. Besides getting to sit in on lessons taught by an award winning adult educator, readers will meet many colorful offenders and be taken on a sensory tourist's journey through the rooms and routines of the old penitentiary to get their own taste of what it means to be incarcerated. The realities are tough, but the read is by far more heart-warming and compelling than it is disturbing.

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15% of adults in custody in Oregon prisons read below an 8th grade level. Nationwide it is estimated that 70% of incarcerated people can’t read at a 4th grade level.

Salem Statesman Journal, 2022, “Learning to Read Behind the Fence- The Path to Prison is Often Paved by Illiteracy,” by Natalie Pate
In 2012 alone, the United States spent nearly $81 billion on corrections—Spending on prisons and jails has increased at triple the rate of spending on Pre-K-12 public education in the last 30 years.

Salem Statesman Journal, 2022, “Learning to Read Behind the Fence- The Path to Prison is Often Paved by Illiteracy,” by Natalie Pate
Those who complete education programs during their incarceration are less likely to return to prison after release, have a better chance of finding work, and are less likely to engage in violence during their incarceration.

Crime and Justice Research Alliance, “Impact of Inmate Education Programs on Misconduct and Recidivism,” by John Wooldredge
Only 60% of Oregon inmates have a confirmed high school diploma or GED

Salem Statesman Journal, 2022, “Learning to Read Behind the Fence- The Path to Prison is Often Paved by Illiteracy,” by Natalie Pate

Invite Lois to speak at your event

Lois offers the distilled wisdom of a prestigious career in adult education, and she would be happy to discuss the possibility of speaking at your event.

Contact Lois

Teaching to a Captive Audience: Reflections from a Prison Educator

A Memoir in Essays by Lois Colton

Teaching to a Captive Audience: Reflections from a Prison Educator

Purchase now at the following retailers:

15% of adults in custody in Oregon prisons read below an 8th grade level. Nationwide it is estimated that 70% of incarcerated people can’t read at a 4th grade level.

In 2012 alone, the United States spent nearly $81 billion on corrections—Spending on prisons and jails has increased at triple the rate of spending on Pre-K-12 public education in the last 30 years.

Those who complete education programs during their incarceration are less likely to return to prison after release, have a better chance of finding work, and are less likely to engage in violence during their incarceration.

Only 60% of Oregon inmates have a confirmed high school diploma or GED

Invite Lois to speak at your event