Pubdate: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc Contact: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) PRISONERS WORK MATH PROBLEMS USING DRUG FORMULAS NEWPORT, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Department of Correction has reprimanded one of its math instructors after he substituted units of cocaine and methamphetamine while testing inmates on their multiplication skills. Instead of using apples and oranges to calculate ratios, the instructor at the Grimes Unit prison used rocks of cocaine and meth ingredients. Among the questions: . "Rico sells 422 rocks per week in four different territories. He wants to expand to seven different territories. If he continues to sell at the same rate how many rocks per week will he sell in seven territories?" . "Jim Bob is cookin crystal meth in his back yard." After giving the formula for meth, the teacher posed the question, "How many Sudafedrine pills must he mix with 2.8 quarts of amonia?" Correction Department spokeswoman Dina Tyler said that while it is proper to help inmates work toward high school diplomas, the method selected wasn't. She also said the teacher would have received an A for his meth production calculation. The teacher said he learned the equation from his students, Tyler said. "Which makes sense," Tyler said. "They're the ones who would know." The Grimes Unit prison is in Jackson County, the subject of a recent People magazine article on meth use. (The answer to the first question above is 738.5 rocks.) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom