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State Honors Superlative ADC Educators

Inmate GED grad rate skyrockets

Six Arizona Department of Corrections employees were honored by the State of Arizona during a Governor’s cabinet meeting at the Arizona Capitol June 14.

The group, all employees at the Douglas complex, was recognized for success in administering an ADC education program, which has over the past two years nearly quadrupled the number of inmates who receive a GED.

“The numbers they have achieved are simply daunting,” said Alan Stephens, co-chief of staff of the Governor’s office, who conducted the meeting.

In 2003, when Director Dora Schriro took the helm at ADC, only 46 percent of inmates had completed high school, and less then 12 percent were enrolled in classes. During fiscal year 2003, only 791 inmates received a GED.

The education team developed the Expedited GED Program, which pre-tested all inmates without a high school diploma or GED, created a prescriptive plan to ensure inmate success. Based on test results, inmates were either immediately tested for the GED, offered peer tutoring and self-study, or enrolled in full-time classes.

As a result of the team’s efforts, GED graduation rose from 791 in 2003 to 3,125 in 2005, an increase of nearly 300 percent. More impressive, ADC inmates now represent 15 percent of Arizona’s total number of GED graduates, up from only 7 percent just two years ago.

In less than three years, and with no increase in funds for instructional staff or classroom seats, ADC now accounts for nearly one of every three GED completions in the state.

The Expedited GED Program is an example of the ADC’s commitment to improving public safety, as part of its Five-Year Strategic Plan, which goals to improve the personal and professional skills of inmates, who are then more apt to successfully rejoin and contribute to society after release.

From left, ADC Workforce Development Administrator Charles Flanagan, Administrative Assistant Grace Munoz, Correctional Education Program Teacher Fred White, Division Director of Program Services Steve Ickes, Program Manager Paul Dees, CEPT Joe Ramirez, CEPT Cindy Humphries, CEPT August Schaefer and ADC Director Dora Schriro pose outside the Governor’s cabinet meeting room. The team of educators from ASPC-Douglas was honored for their efforts with the Expedited GED Program, which has quadrupled the number of GED inmate recipients since 2003.

 

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