Noted author and former Member of Parliament, Neletha Butterfield has a new book out, which is set to be officially launched on Friday (February 28).‘Education For The Soul Behind The Prison Walls’ documents ‘herstory’, spanning nearly two decades leading the GED programme and teaching computer skills to inmates in Bermuda’s prisons.
Ms Butterfield “taught for approximately 20 years successfully assisting 150 inmates in receiving their GED (high school diploma) and over 300 inmates in receiving basic educational skills and computer training”.
In the lead up to the book signing-launch this Friday at CARE Learning Centre from 6pm to 10pm, a spokesperson: “Education is basically the SOUL of a community that is shared and is passed on from one generation to another.
If someone is going down the wrong path it is education that will and should turn them around.”
The book highlights her “involvement, encouragement, teachings and experience in educating the inmates of the correctional facilities in Bermuda.
Those facilities include: The Senior Training School, the Female Prison (now Co-ed Correctional Facility), Prison Farm and Casemates Prison (now Westgate Correctional Facility) from computer studies to African education studies and from mathematics and reading to the GED programme (high school diploma).
She ventured on the prison educational journey in 1984 on the request of Mr Edwin C Wilson, the first Educational Officer with Her Majesty’s Prison as well as a former Commissioner of Prisons.
Mr Wilson in his wisdom contacted her and asked if could assist in teaching at the prison facilities with the GED and computer programmes.
The spokesperson added: “In this book, the author says you will find appreciation messages, poems and letters from inmates, graduation programmes, letters of congratulations and thanks from the legislature and the community, newspaper articles and more on her role as the co-founder of Prison Fellowship, Chair of the Treatment of Offenders Board and her account of an instructor’s day in the prisons of Bermuda.
“She currently volunteers her educational services as she believes giving back is the key to her success behind the prison walls.”
All books in this series are available at CARE Learning Centre and ‘Trailblazers’ is available at the Book Mart until the end of the month.
For more information on how to purchase copies available email admin@care.bm or call 292-0915.
