Inmates earning vocational certificates surpass goal

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) recently announced that the number of vocational certificates completed by incarcerated offenders has surpassed the agency’s goal of 7,000 for Fiscal Year 2018.

By the end of March, the total number of completions reached 7,76, with that number growing to 7,799 by May 1.

In keeping with GDC’s commitment to ensuring offenders have programming available to aid in their successful reentry, six additional Education Program Specialists are in place and are dedicated full-time to provide support for career and technical education in each of GDC’s three regions.

“Completing a vocational program creates an opportunity for offenders to learn a skill while incarcerated and become productive citizens when returning to their communities,” said Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. “I am proud of our team for their commitment to helping offenders with successful reentry.”

“This team has been instrumental in increasing the opportunities for offender education and improving staff training on identifying, scheduling, and completing career technical education opportunities,” said Dr. Heather Corbett, Director of Career and Technical Education at GDC. “We are always analyzing data to look for ways we can continue to improve,” she added.

The number of vocational completions, including career, technical, and on-thejob training, increased by 41.7 percent, from 4,298, in fiscal year 2016, to 6,090, in fiscal year 2017.