“They will only open doors for them that were not open before, [allowing] they can take better care of themselves. It will allow them not to go back to their old ways, “said Natalie Grant-Askew, school administrator for the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown.
YOUNGSTOWN – James Steward III was the first of his mother and four siblings to go to college.
But the 29-year-old Ashland University student hasn’t set foot on the private Christian school campus yet – he’s been behind bars for 12 years.
Youngstown Steward was one of the first inmates of the city’s Northeast Ohio Correctional Center to enroll in the private detention center’s college program. Inmates eligible for the federal government’s Second Chance Pell Grants can enroll in the Ashland program for a two-year associate degree or four-year bachelor’s degree. These grants are available to inmates whose term is less than 10 years and who have no outstanding college debt.
The Ashland program expanded to NEOCC in February 2020, said Natalie Grant-Askew, the instructor of the NEOCC program.
“These tools will make them less likely to return to prison after release,” she said. “They will only open doors for them that were not open before, [allowing] they can take better care of themselves. It will allow them not to go back to their old ways.
Almost 160 NEOCC prisoners have registered since the first spring semester. Of these, around 30, including Steward, continued their second semester or beyond. The program is free to inmates, and those who don’t qualify for the Pell Scholarship can get some form of grants from prison operator CoreCivic, Grant-Askew said.
“If they haven’t made plans or have no support when they return to the church, it’s just the same – doors closed; Opportunities are few and far between, ”she said.
Grant-Askew said many of NEOCC’s incarcerated students were those “left behind and counted” in traditional school. Often a crucial support system was missing in their lives.
“There are so many of them who never had someone say, ‘I’m proud of you,’ or who never encouraged anyone to do well or go to college,” she said.
Steward didn’t grow up with a father. His mother was nearby, but she was struggling with drug addiction, he said.
“I’ve always been a fan of sports; I played soccer all my life until my grandfather died. He was my role model – the one who kept me going, ”Steward told Mahoning Matters on the phone. “After that, the streets grabbed me.”
Steward said he turned to the drug trade to support him and his younger brother and sister.
Steward has been imprisoned since he was 16 years old. He was charged in 2007 with the shooting of a 19-year-old man along Ohio Avenue and charged with murder and robbery in 2008 as an adult.
Steward eventually struck a plea deal that reduced those charges to negligent manslaughter and aggravated robbery, court records show. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2009 and is currently expected to be released in September 2025, according to state prison records.
When he comes out, he says he looks forward to giving back to the community. He said he wanted to start a youth mentoring foundation called Boys to Men.
“I really only want to do it for those who don’t have a father. I never had a father when I was on the street, ”said Steward. “I was one of those kids who wasn’t lucky enough not to be able to come into the house for a meal that was cooked. I want to be able to feed hungry children; when they need clothes; and help the schools.
Steward’s degree in communication and business administration as part of the Ashland program will also help him launch his food truck idea, which he plans for two years after his release: “Crazy Bagels … breakfast, lunch or dinner served on a bagel” , he said.
Ashland’s incarcerated students begin with basic business courses – typically only nine credit hours in the first semester. There are a number of standard college offerings to follow: Psychology 101, Humanities, and various writing and communication courses. After completing a total of 60 credit hours, you will acquire an Associate Degree in General Studies; at 120, a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, Grant-Askew said.
After their release, the students can continue their course work in Ashland, she said.
Currently the courses are not virtual so inmates do not interact with the instructors in real time. Ashland’s model has been criticized by some who say the training offered is inferior, Crain’s Cleveland reported in January.
At the time, Ashland’s program offered inmates tablets with keyboard tops to complete coursework. Students are now using Google Chromebooks to complete their online courses and email teachers, Grant-Askew said. But they do not stay with the inmates when they return to their cells.
Meanwhile, Ashland University had received more than $ 30 million from one-time Pell Second Chance Inmate Scholarships in the first four years since the Pell Second Chance Scholarship was launched, Crain reported.
As of 2017, Ashland’s program has expanded to 100 prisons in 13 states a December article from The Marshall Project, a nonprofit journalism initiative focused on criminal justice. Critics of this program, funded by the Marshall Project, also suggested that Ashland did little to actually help serious criminals reintegrate into society.
Grant-Askew told Mahoning Matters that NEOCC itself has no way of tracking its students once they leave prison, although “sometimes they get lucky and they call us back and tell us how they’re doing” or write letters, she said .
But on a human level, Steward said the program was transformative for him. The hope for a better life has driven him time and again – as have Grant-Askew and other prison workers.
“I took the math test five times before I got my GED,” said Steward. “It was with the help of Miss Grant that I wouldn’t let them give up.
“Miss Grant won’t let go of me. She didn’t stop. I was scared. I was so frustrated. I was so used to failure. It was second nature. “
He’s now in the fifth semester of the Ashland program and “I love it to be honest,” said Steward.
Grant-Askew said she and the other program staff in the prison were “very invested in the students’ success.” Her voice shines as she sees the excitement they get from a positive testimonial.
“As the school administrator, I truly believe that it is our responsibility here to help these guys get better when they return to the community,” said Grant-Askew. “Our job is to help these guys get better and give them every opportunity to be the best version of themselves they can be.”
