VOA慢速英语2014 在肯尼亚监狱,接受教育意味着重获自由

 

AS IT IS 2014-11-14 In Kenyan Prison, Education May Mean Freedom 在肯尼亚监狱,接受教育意味着重获自由

Eighteen people in central Kenya are taking the country’s secondary education test, called the KCSE. Even under normal conditions, this examination can make a student nervous. But these 18 students may feel especially fearful.  They are serving sentences in a top-security prison. And if they do well on the test, they might get to leave the prison.

During the test the inmates² sit at school desks at Naivasha Prison. These prisoners have writing tools and plastic devices used in mathematics. The classroom looks like any other except that the students are wearing prison uniforms.

David Noah Okwemba has just finished the examination for history and biology.  He says he wants people to know that the prisoners are no longer criminals.  Instead, he says they are students.

Prisoners who perform well can have their sentences amended³. They may be released early to go to university or find employment.

Patrick Mwenda is head officer at Naivasha prison. He says Naivasha works with the high courts to consider the cases of prisoners who get high marks.

Mr. Mwenda says nine prisoners have been released since 2008 as a result of their schooling⁴ and tests. So far, the releases have gone only to prisoners sentenced to short terms.

Only one other possibility for freedom exists for those facing life in prison and those who have used up all their legal appeals. Kenya's Power of Mercy committee advises about pardons for prisoners. Officials set up the committee in 2011.

Mr. Mwenda admits the difficulties of getting a pardon. But he says the prison urges students with longer sentences to build skills.  He says doing this would help them have a good record to show the committee. 

Inmate¹ Prince Winsor Mosii does not approve of the whole system.

“The Power of Mercy is not actually helpful. It is there, but it is not helping⁵ in setting us at liberty (freeing us), even if you have performed.”

Prince Winsor Mosii is serving a life sentence for his involvement in an armed robbery. He took his KCSE exam last year.  He teaches English, biology and agriculture.  But he says he does not see much reason to get an education if he is to remain in prison.

“It is of no good to get or to acquire something of great value, skills, and not put it into action.”                                      

More than half of the 3,000 inmates at the Naivasha prison are involved in the school program.  Others may learn job skills like working with clothing and wood.

For supplies, the program depends on donors⁶, other supporters and money from selling products made by the students.

The inmates themselves choose the subjects and decide the content of the studies.  Personal experience makes up an important part of the class discussions.

Words in this Story

uniform - n. a special kind of clothing that is worn by all the members of a group or organization

inmate - n. a person detained in a prison or mental institution

probation⁷ - n. a situation or period of time in which a person who has committed a crime is allowed to stay out of prison if that person behaves well, does not commit another crime, etc.

pardon - n. an act of officially saying that someone who was judged to be guilty of a crime will be allowed to go free and will not be punished

1 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

2 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。