According to the Journal of Correctional Education, the U.S. incarcerates over 2.3 million persons, a number equal to 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. Each of these 2.3 million prisoners costs American taxpayers $32,000 to $40,000 each year for food and housing. Of those 2.3 million, around 800,000 will be released each year and most, that is 70 percent to 85 percent, will return to prison within 5 years of release. The exception is prisoners who receive an education while in prison.

According to the Journal of Correctional Education, of prisoners with an AA degree, only 13.7 percent will return to prison, of those with a Bachelor's degree 5.6 percent, and those with a Master's degree 0 percent. The Institute for Higher Education Policy calculates the cost of educating one prisoner to be $2,000 to $3,782 per year, much lower than the $40,000 per year outlay for incarceration.

While educating prisoners is an odd concept to champion, the fact that the U.S. spends $30.1 billion each year to build more prisons should give all Americans pause. This is money siphoned off from local community colleges, state universities, defense, and much needed public work projects, not to mention every American's wallet.

With the January 2012 publication of "Education Behind Bars," a comprehensive resource delineating the financial and social benefits of educating prisoners will finally be available.

For prison education news as it breaks and an ongoing dialogue about the merits of educating prisoners, head over to http://PrisonEducation.com .

Copyright © 2012 CitizenWire™; and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

England, an acclaimed financial journalist, has described the root causes of the crisis and the harrowing events that toppled institutions and markets in his new non-fiction financial thriller, "Black Box Casino: How Wall Street's Risky Shadow Banking Crashed Global Finance" (ISBN: 978-0313392894; hardcover; Praeger). The author's remarks have been posted at YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZI5BvgPro .

"Something had gone terribly wrong to deliver us into the world of Mad Max, where the norms we thought necessary for society had vanished," Mr. England said. "We saw financial institutions crashing all around us while authorities seemed powerless to do anything about it."

England, who covered the crisis as senior writer for Mortgage Banking magazine, recounted how the mortgage banking industry was transformed from one ruled by the discipline of the "invisible fist" of the free markets in the early 1990s to one that had generated $4.7 trillion in risky assets by mid-2008.

Chief among the villains England cited is Congress for enacting a regulatory regime for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 1992 that put rules in place that rewarded politicians for demanding ever-rising affordable housing goals achieved through ever-declining lending standards. Fannie and Freddie were given weak financial standards and a weak regulator who could not compel them to take steps needed to ensure their safety and soundness.

After accounting scandals emerged at both Fannie and Freddie in the early 2000s, top-level officials were not held to account by Washington and walked away with hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains. This "sent a dangerous signal, I think, to others who contemplated fraudulent schemes. Rewards could be huge and the potential downside limited," the author said.

England also faulted the Securities and Exchange Commission for its lax enforcement of laws against fraud and market manipulation and recounted how naked short sellers engaged in illegal activity that brought down first Bear Stearns and then Lehman Brothers.

England also cast a light on the foibles of Wall Street. "Merrill Lynch and Citigroup were the kings of CDOs (collateralized debt obligations) and bear much of the blame for the crisis," he said. The subprime CDO was "the biggest bait and switch of all time" because it turned low-rated subprime mortgage bonds into AAA credits, which were then sold to many unwary Asian and European investors, England said.

An excerpt from England remarks: The demand from CDOs for weaker subprime credits – usually only a fraction of each deal – had a perverse effect. It greatly increased demand for mortgage lenders to increase the volume of overall subprime and risky mortgages to supply the bonds needed for the CDOs. In short, the subprime CDO business was poisoning the private label mortgage-backed securities business. In an outcome James Bond villain Goldfinger would love, Wall Street was creating a flow of funds into the mortgage industry in search of bad credits.

For more information on Black Box Casino and England, visit http://www.robertstoweengland.com .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™; and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

The purpose of these seminars is to share how faculty-student collaboration projects can assist local organizations to become more effective.

Noriko Iwanaga Chapman, a native of Japan, is a production control supervisor for DENSO Manufacturing (TN). She is a single mother of two and a cancer survivor. Chapman notes, "In 2009, when I was diagnosed with cancer, it was devastating to think about the disease and an unknown future." She regained her strength and managed to attend Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) and enrolled in its MBA Program. She chose to assist the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center located in Maryville, as a part of her project. Chapman was inspired by the Center staff and individuals with disabilities to further develop her MBA research. The results opened more doors for Chapman. Her research was the main inspiration for her new book, "Second Chance: An In-depth Case Study on Nonprofit Organization's Resource Allocation and Operational Maximization" (ISBN-13: 978-1453686263). It is co-authored by her LMU professor, Green.

Dr. Green also works for the Department of Energy and is a respected author of several books. He feels that today's universities need to be relevant and results-driven. Collaboration is a one method. Dr. Green notes, "Writing a book requires a lot of energy. In fact, co-authoring a book with someone can be stressful. Yet, I saw something special in Noriko Chapman." Since he started at LMU in 2009, Dr. Green's students have provided over 1,400 hours of consulting hours to local organizations, such as Bechtel National and Fort Sanders Hospital. His students average over 80 hours per project. Dr. Green has also assisted over 80 students in publishing books to solve regional problems.

Chapman states, "It was a perfect project that God prepared with the perfect timing, a convenient location, hard-working people, and Dr. Green's challenge to have students publish a book. It was a Second Chance for me to go back to school and resume my career after surviving cancer." Chapman has become a social advocate for individuals with disabilities seeking permanent employment without reliance on public assistance. However, these collaborations would not work without a support institution.

Dr. Green explains, "LMU's School of Business has been on the cutting edge of engaging students. It is an honor to be a part of this type of organization that wants to make a significant contribution to the local community."

"Second Chance" provides nonprofit organizations with operation management tools to make them more efficient and better equipped to assist their clients and constituents in meeting their needs. Through the eyes of Ms. Chapman as a new MBA student, readers take a magical journey of overcoming a difficult situation in operations management and life. The book is available online at Amazon.com and other book retailers. The authors have pledged 30 percent of the proceeds to the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center.

For more information about the book or the authors, please contact Noriko Chapman at 865-379-6455 or Chance2.Noriko@gmail.com. Ms. Chapman and Dr. Green are available for media interviews.

About the Authors:

Noriko Chapman is an international traveler and a role model to millions of women looking to overcome extreme obstacles in life. Noriko is also a Lincoln Memorial University student. Dr. Daryl Green, who is Noriko's professor, has been noted and quoted in such prominent media organizations as USA Today, the Associated Press, The Hallerin Hill Show, and Ebony Magazine. Dr. Green provides a variety of management solutions on http://nuleadership.wordpress.com or http://www.darylgreen.org .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

View at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv0jv-C0iWE .

Mr. England, an acclaimed business writer in the financial services industry, hosted a discussion and book-signing event for his late September-released non-fiction title, "Black Box Casino: How Wall Street's Risky Shadow Banking Crashed Global Finance" (ISBN: 978-0313392894; hardcover; Praeger), The event was co-sponsored by Titan Lenders Corp. (TLC), a U.S.-based domestic mortgage fulfillment outsource company; International Document Services (IDS), Inc., a mortgage document preparation vendor; and Depth Public Relations, a marketing and reputation management provider for the financial services industry (www.DepthPR.com).

Timely in light of the "Occupy Wall Street" phenomenon, England's remarks inform a topic that is at best vaguely understood even by the most financially savvy of disgruntled U.S. citizens. According to England, his determination to write "Black Box Casino" was prompted by his personal intrigue with "a monumental mystery that needed to be investigated and explained."

"When I began writing about the mortgage industry back in 1988, I found it to be a fascinating, tough industry in which free markets corrected and regulated the business," he explained, adding that he first met former Countrywide founder and CEO Angelo Mozillo the same year, conducting a wide-ranging, seven-hour interview.

Two decades later, when he started work on his book in 2008, England said "the fastest way to hear a dial tone was to call a Wall Street firm and ask about subprime CDOs."

An excerpt from England's remarks during the event at the mortgage banking conference follows:

"I wanted to tell a story of financial wreckage on an epic scale. To even describe the level of destruction that occurred is a helpful exercise given that those details were often hard to come by and occurred out of the public eye. 'Black Box Casino' is the story about the half of the world of banking that is shadow banking. It is the story about how huge swathes of that shadow banking financial activity moved into black boxes where outside eyes could not see what risks were being created and how multi-billion dollar bets were being placed that markets would fail and reap the speculators' unprecedented fortunes.

Nor could people understand the level of fraud that was being concocted in some of those black boxes. We would later learn that major institutions like Lehman Brothers filed public disclosures that had massive manipulations of accounting to camouflage sky high leverage. In theory, securitization was supposed to spread risk and thus make the financial systems safe and sound.

In practice, it was a different story at least in the case of riskier mortgages. Instead of spreading small amounts of risk around the globe through the use of naked credit default swaps, risks were magnified many times and then spread around the world, creating a greater risk than would have existed if the loans had never been securitized and bets not placed against them … a shell game of 'hide the toxic assets.'"

For more information on Black Box Casino and England, visit http://www.robertstoweengland.com .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

Inflation, foreclosure, unemployment, healthcare issues, pollution, crime, recession and depression: one percent was benefiting – pimping; and somebody, the other 99 percent, were being played.

Today, the DVD release of "Ghetto Physics," accompanied by the manual, "GhettoPhysics: Redefining the Game" finds itself in the middle of an OCCUPY movement which could have been a scene in the original film!

The film features personalities that include Princeton professor Cornel West; rapper/actor Ice T; economist, author John Perkins; Emmy Award-winning television producer and social activist Norman Lear; former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; and best-selling author Byron Katie. A colorful contingent of 'real life' pimps also flavor the cast including street legends Fillmore Slim, Hook da Crook, Mac Breed and Lo Da Show.

"Ghetto Physics" a term which merges street science with the dynamics of metaphysics, deconstructs the nature, structure and "politricks" of power as they are played out in every corner of our society, and in every society around the world. According to Arntz, the brain behind box office success "What the BLEEP Do We Know," "We see these power dynamics expressed in government, in business, in the military … in our families … everywhere. It's a nonpartisan political film that exposes the root of all of the world's dysfunctions – an imbalance in the dynamics of power."

Expresses Brown, a genuine product of the hip hop generation, who incorporates elements of shamanism, quantum theory, and archetypal psychology into his approach, "The evolving Occupy Movement is an eloquent expression of what I have been identifying for years now. The people running the show (a.k.a. the Pimps) and the people putting up with it (a.k.a. the Ho's) have been doing a lousy job taking care of the planet, the environment and each other. It's time to say 'Game Over' and time to start a new one. It is not about right and wrong, good guys vs. bad guys. It is about awareness of 'the game' and letting people know it's up to them to choose the role they play in every situation. 'Ghetto Physics' exposes the powers that be and refuses to let those in control rule our lives anymore."

"Ghetto Physics" is available for purchase now on DVD at Amazon.com and wherever movies are sold online. The book "GhettoPhysics: Redefining the Game," also available via Kindle on Amazon.com, is a resource rife with insight, methodology and a call to action for survival and success as a 99 percenter in society.

Participants at the various OCCUPY centers around the country are also eligible for a free DVD per a special campaign at www.GhettoPhysics.com . The film is available for online screening at GhettoPhysics.com and via download on iTunes and Amazon.com at a later date. View the trailer at
http://vimeo.com/18235619 .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

It can be read in full here: http://www.ballantine.com/2011/10/10/green-direct-mail/ .

"Green direct mail continues to be an important topic," says Ryan Cote, director of marketing for the Ballantine Corporation. "We hope that this white paper will provide businesses with useful and practical tips to help make its direct mail greener."

Additionally, green direct mail not only demonstrates a business's commitment to the environment, it can also help to save money in certain cases.

"The Four R's of Green Direct Mail" provides specific tactics that can be easily employed. For example, reducing materials used is one of the easiest ways to get started and includes actions such as linking to online content; using press-efficient formats; fine-tuning targeted mailing lists; and more.

And, while many marketing departments have some type of recycling program in place there are ways that businesses can also encourage their customers to recycle and make the process even that more effective.

Another "R" – reusing – may prove to be the most difficult to implement, but it may also have the greatest number of options to choose from.

Finally, a business should "respond."

"There's nothing wrong with a company tooting its own horn," says Cote. "If it is making efforts to become 'greener,' there are several ways that it can communicate this to its customer base. Everyone will benefit."

About Ballantine:

Family-owned since 1966, The Ballantine Corporation is a New Jersey-based company offering direct marketing services to companies nationwide.

For more information, visit: http://www.ballantine.com .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

The invitation-only signing will take place on Monday, Oct. 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the West Tower at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of Black Box Casino, titled "The Race to The Bottom:" In agreeing back in 1992 to thin capital requirements, a weak prudential regulatory scheme, a green light to run its own investment portfolios, and affordable housing goals that could steadily rise, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac inadvertently entered into a suicide pact. Along the way, however, a lot of people would get rich greasing the skids for their demise.

According to Titan Lenders Corp. founder and president Mary Kladde, many of the book's assertions about the missteps and ethical miscalculations that lead to the mortgage meltdown mirror its own position that the mortgage industry is in need of reformation with regard to data integrity and transparency.

"Titan Lenders Corp. firmly believes that a new mortgage paradigm is imminent, one in which transparency, data integrity and risk management are the cornerstones of responsible lending, ensuring a more stable securitization marketplace, and improving confidence in our industry's standards," Kladde explained.

"Robert Stowe England's book casts an investigative journalist's spotlight on the individuals, institutions and attitudes that fueled the subprime crisis and subsequent global financial collapse," she added. "As an industry, we must take note of the convergence of shortcomings pointed out in 'Black Box Casino.' If we are to ever restore the industry's catastrophically injured reputation and prevent a future similar catastrophe, we need to be clear in our understanding of what really happened."

For IDS executive vice president Mark Mackey, its interest was engaged by the extensive research and objectivity that characterizes "Black Box Casino," whose author, Robert Stowe England, has a reputation for precision, detail and thorough documentation of his assertions.

"IDS is all about getting the details right on its clients' docs and disclosures, every time," said Mackey. "That's what makes 'Black Box Casino' and its author a good fit for our presence at the 2011 MBA Annual Conference. Mr. England's book should serve as a permanent wake-up call to an industry that has often blinded by its own hubris."

This event is also being co-sponsored by Depth Public Relations, LLC, (www.DepthPR.com) a provider of reputation management and visibility strategies, including editorial content development for traditional and online media, search engine optimization, and marketing campaigns.

"As a critical reader and thinker on behalf of our clients, I make it my business to draw their attention to worthwhile content, so it was only natural that Mr. England's 'Black Box Casino' became 'recommended reading' this summer," said DepthPR founder and president Kerri Milam. "Further, he is a frequent contributor to our industry's most respected media, so as a firm, we've become serious Robert Stowe England followers."

"We consider it a privilege to co-sponsor this event for 'Black Box Casino' with our valued clients, Titan Lenders Corp. and IDS, during the 98th Annual MBA Conference even as DepthPR marks the 5th anniversary of its founding," she added.

Registered MBA conference attendees can request and invitation by sending an email to Leslie@DepthPR.com. For more information on Black Box Casino and England, visit http://www.robertstoweengland.com/ .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

Through real-life vignettes, Chu captures the spirit of new hope. Whether they find strength through the joy of reading, a desire to spend more time with their children, or a love for God, these women share stories that will inspire many in their own journey.

"It was a privilege to connect with these women. I thank them for allowing me a small glimpse into their daily lives," says Chu. She met with each woman to see what motivated them to move forward, and told each hope-filled story through her camera. The result is a powerful collection of portraits which say more than words could ever do.

The book release event will be held at Trinity Church, 875 Auloa Road, Kailua, Hawaii, on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. Many of the women photographed will be present with the support of family and friends; the author will speak and present each woman with her own copy of the book. "Portraits of Aloha Hope" will be available for $45 with all proceeds going to support WIN. Seating is limited; an RSVP is required. More information: http://portraitsofalohahope.com .

About the author:

Sohee Chu is a photographer, designer and principal of the strategic design firm iSohi, inc. (www.isohi.com). She has won a Travel & Leisure award for her photography and multiple awards for creative solutions for companies from startups to leaders in the Fortune 500.

About Women in Need:

Women in Need is a nonprofit that empowers families to recover from domestic violence, homelessness, substance abuse, and incarceration. WIN transitional housing, where these portraits were taken, is just one of the group's outreaches. The organization serves over 300 women, men and teens each year; many of their past clients come back to help as a volunteer or staff member. To learn more, visit http://win-hawaii.org .

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

Most people have no idea what their donations are worth. You know you can deduct the value of charitable items on your tax return when you itemize, but how on earth do you determine the value? If you overstate the value, you risk an audit, penalties and interest. If you under-estimate, you pay more taxes than you should. Valuing donations is difficult because the law does not allow the charities to set values. In fact, donors are responsible for obtaining the current fair market value of their donated items as specified in the IRS guidelines.

"MONEY-For Your Used Clothing" is guaranteed two ways:
1. Lewis and Edmond assure that taxpayers who itemize will save at least $250 on their income tax return or their money back.
2. Certified Used Clothing Values, Inc., will pay all interest and penalties if the IRS disallows the deduction, provided the booklet is properly registered.

Donated item values are grouped in easy-to-follow categories. An example of items in "better" condition from the 2011 booklet include:
* Women's dress $ 15
* Men's suit $ 39.50
* Toddler's dress shoes $ 8
* Boy's jeans $ 8
* Girl's shirt $ 6
* Maternity swim suit $ 17
* Bedroom set $ 939
* Luggage Set $ 60
* Baby car seat $ 43
* Wheel Chair $ 53

"Taxpayers can use their tax savings any way they please: for new clothes to replace the ones given to charity, for a weekend vacation, to pay off bills or to add to savings," said Lewis.

"MONEY – For Your Used Clothing" explains seven simple steps for documenting donations in accordance with IRS guidelines, and tells how to receive a tax windfall without waiting to file a tax return. It also addresses recent IRS tax law changes that affect charitable deductions.

"This booklet also benefits charities because it encourages thousands of Americans to donate items they might otherwise set out at a garage sale," said Edmond.

"Many people stuff a bunch of old clothing into bags or boxes and claim a $100 deduction, receiving maybe a few dollars in tax benefits," Lewis said. "Those clothes could easily have been worth $3,000 if they knew the proper method for valuing their donations. The values add up very quickly!"

"MONEY – For Your Used Clothing 2011" retails for $25 (plus shipping/handling).

For more information, please visit http://www.mfyuc.com or call 866-417-7678.

Certified Used Clothing Values, Inc., established in 1990, publishes "MONEY For Your Used Clothing," co-written by Certified Public Accountant William R. Lewis and Tax Auditor Connie S. Edmond. The annual tax guide publishes values for over 1,200 used clothing and household items that comply with the new IRS guidelines, guaranteeing that people save hundreds of dollars on their taxes.

Visit website for terms/limitations of "guarantee."

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.

"His two decades working with the highest caliber artists has given Khodr Cherri unique status and a wide following in the fine art world," said Baret Lepejian. "We are very proud to welcome one of the most trusted authorities on photographic printing and imaging to our team."

"I'm really pleased to be working with Baret and Vic Lepejian and their team," said Khodr. "My vision at A&I is to collaborate with each artist to provide expert consultation with a hands-on approach, creating traditional-style exhibition quality Chromogenic and Giclee prints, and custom-designed photo books as well as discovering new substrates for large format that are unique to the individual photographer."

A graduate of the American University in Beirut, Khodr began his photography career as a film technician and Art Center student in Los Angeles. As production manager at the Nardulli lab, he worked with Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton, Matthew Rolston and Norman Jean Roy, among many other photographers. He has also worked with photo editors at publications such as Time Magazine, National Geographic, and Vogue. He is an expert in digital retouching and a skilled curator of work for gallery and museum exhibitions. Clients have included Sebastian Copeland, Andrew McPherson and Peggy Sirota. Prior to coming to A&I, Khodr was with The Icon.

The move comes as A&I has introduced large-format printing with its acquisition of an HP Scitex FB500, allowing artists to print high-quality images on a wide array of substrates including metal, tile and glass. A&I Books is also leading the way in fine art print-on-demand photo books created on two HP Indigo machines, and an in-house binding department.

About A&I Photographic and Digital:

A&I Photographic and Digital Services (www.aandi.com), the leading photographic services provider based in Los Angeles, has a 30-year legacy of providing high-end photographic services to the world's top photographers. The company moved into the digital realm with its acquisition in 2004 by veteran photographic printer Baret Lepejian and his computer specialist brother Vic Lepejian. While continuing to provide the finest gallery and museum print services for top artists, the addition of two HP Indigo presses expanded the business into digital book production under the A&I Books banner, printing fine-art editions for such noted photographers as Herman Leonard, Melvin Sokolsky, and Joel Meyerowitz. A&I Books is the only U.S. provider of Book Creator(TM), a free online book design software for customized photo books. A&I is allied with the Julia Dean Photo Workshops (www.juliadean.com), devoted to the traditional photographic arts, advancing the skills and increasing the personal enrichment of photographers of all experience levels and ages.

Copyright © 2011 CitizenWire™ and Neotrope®. CitizenWire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network.