GED gives MDOC Monroe Co. inmates a chance at success

MONROE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI)- State inmates at the Monroe County Work Center who have not graduated high school are getting a chance to take their GED.

It is part of an effort by the sheriff and administrators to give the inmates a better chance for success and a new life, once they have served their time. WCBI’s Allie Martin has more.

Once a week, Judy Carpenter helps lead a group of MDOC inmates as they take a class to prepare for their GED test.

The inmates are part of the Monroe County Work Center. They do various work in the community as they are serving their sentences.

Monroe County will be their final stop before release, and Work Center Administrator Scotty Clark says it’s not unusual for inmates to lack even basic paperwork.

“We try and get social security cards, provisional drivers licenses, anything we can to help when they are released from here, so they have a better chance.”

Part of having a better chance includes getting that GED.

Carpenter says she enjoys working with the students. “I Find that most of them are very intelligent, very motivated, it makes a difference on their parole, probation, of course they have to have a job once they get out and can’t do that unless you have that little certificate.”

This is the first GED class for Work Center inmates. They started in October and are almost ready to take the tests in reading, writing, history, math, and science to get their GED. “Our hope for them is they get a great job, and are productive citizens, establish themselves and be successful.”

“I hope it is a turning point, so when they leave, their life can be different and they can see there is another path and this may be the first thing they succeeded at in a very long, maybe in whole lifetime, where they felt like they started and finished something and did it well.”

Because of MDOC guidelines, the faces of the GED students can’t be shown on camera. But one inmate said off camera, he is looking forward to getting his GED and new opportunities for a fresh start, once he is released.

All of the participants in the GED program and work center are nonviolent offenders.