Impact Georgia Magazine - Regaining Momentum Summer 2021 | Page 22

IMPACT GEORGIA MAGAZINE

GDC PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO PREPARE OFFENDERS FOR REENTRY

Offenders achieve High School Equivalences and CTHE certificates
The Georgia Department of Corrections ( GDC ) offers educational opportunities to offenders across the state in General Equivalency Diploma ( GED ), High School Diploma , On-the-Job Training ( OJT ) Certificates , and Vocational programming . The opportunities these courses provide allow offenders to become educated , well-rounded , and skilled , thus making them more employable upon release . Despite the challenges that the agency ’ s programs faced in fiscal year 2021 ( FY21 ), the Academic Education and Career , Technical , and Higher Education ( CTHE ) programs saw much success with offenders completing courses that will benefit their futures .
Within Academic Education , the GDC offers eight educational programs consisting of title 1 , special education , literacy remedial reading , adult basic education , GED , charter high school , English as second only language , and braille . The agency ’ s Academic Education department awarded 1,124 High School Equivalencies during fiscal year 2021 , with 1,082 offenders earning a GED and 42 students receiving their High School diplomas from Foothills Education Charter High School . The CTHE Unit prepares inmates for employment in 25 various trade programs while working with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to certify and deliver programs to offenders to help them find gainful employment and adjust to life outside of the GDC . During fiscal year 2021 , 23,953 offenders completed a CTHE program . Coastal State Prison , Pulaski State Prison , and Wheeler Correctional Facility earned over 1,000 completions in FY21 .
“ Thanks to our dedicated educators and staff members , our Academic and CTHE programs assisted offenders in obtaining valuable knowledge and skills ”
- Commissioner Timothy C . Ward
The combined efforts of partner agencies , instructors , counselors , OJT coordinators , correctional officers , and partnerships make the success of education programs possible . To learn more about the services provided by the GDC , visit http :// www . gdc . ga . gov / AboutGDC / FactSheets / inmate-servicesdivision .
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