The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) announced on Thursday that 4,460 incarcerated individuals earned a GED during the five-year period between 2020 and 2024.
During that same period, enrollments in the GED prep classes, taught by the colleges’ adult education instructors, grew to 14,441.
When we say KCTCS is education for all, that’s exactly what we mean. Supporting those who lack a high school diploma is a key priority for our state and workforce,” said KCTCS President Ryan Quarles, who was among those recently named to the Governor’s Council of Second Chance Employers. “Everyone benefits if these individuals reenter our communities and the workforce with a credential that will help them build better lives for themselves and their families.”
According to published studies, education not only benefits inmates, but it also produces societal benefits, such as lowering rates of recidivism when they are released, according to Maggie Price, director of student success at Maysville Community and Technical College.
“There are many reasons to offer educational opportunities to incarcerated people,” she stated. “Allowing people to earn an education instills a sense of pride. I was always told, ‘no one can take your education away.’’’
Price, who wrote her dissertation on correctional education, said she sees it as a duty to ensure educational opportunities for all. “Many people who are incarcerated will be released one day, and they will be our neighbors. We want our neighbors to be educated and involved in enhancing our communities. Research supports these reasons as well. We are seeing more studies being published stating people are less likely to reoffend when they participate in educational programs during incarceration.”
Fourteen KCTCS colleges are service providers for Kentucky Adult Education (KYAE), the state agency that administers the GED program. Classes are held at county jails and prisons.
KYAE offers the GED for free through their contracted providers including the 14 KCTCS colleges. Visit their website to find a program in your area.
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
