For many jail inmates, the biggest challenge of serving time comes once they’re released. Reentering society can be difficult. Many struggle to find jobs, reconnect with loved ones, and deal with the behaviors that landed them in jail in the first place.
For the past two years, the Habersham County Detention Center has offered inmates a leg up on life beyond bars. Partnering with Pay Tel Communications, the jail offers inmates access to educational, vocational, and self-improvement courses through the Pathway to Achieve Program.
This tablet-based learning system provides access to 900 courses aimed at improving inmates’ lives and reducing recidivism. Topics include a wide range of subjects from anger management to addiction recovery to parenting and career exploration.
“I recently saw a statistic that formerly incarcerated individuals have a nationwide unemployment rate of 27%. I want to give the people in our custody the ability to make a better life for themselves after incarceration,” says Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell.
86% use rate
Since the program was launched in 2021, more than 1,500 Habersham County inmates have completed 206,000 courses, totaling 19,000 hours of instruction time. Twenty-seven have completed all 167 GED prep courses.
The tablets operate on a closed network so inmates don’t have direct access to the internet. The jail has 183 tablets.
As inmates complete their coursework, they earn credits that can be used to listen to music, play games, or watch family-friendly movies.
The average learner completes 137 courses, earning over 1,400 credits. The average time spent per learner is almost 13 hours, and the engagement rate is 86%, the sheriff’s office says.
Assessing and meeting needs
When inmates first log in to the tablets, they take a Risk/Need Assessment. The questions are designed to determine each inmate’s likelihood to re-offend and recommend courses to support behavior change.
The coursework can also be applied to court mandates.
Inmates sentenced in court to take an anger management course, for example, can forward the course completion certificate to their attorney or probation officer.
In addition to the coursework, the tablets also feature a list of reentry resources available in the Habersham County area. The guide is designed to help make reentering the community more manageable.
It lists places that can assist with some of life’s necessities, like housing, food, and clothing. Anyone who needs support can access these resources online at www.rise4me.com.
No cost
Pay Tel provides the tablets at no cost to the sheriff’s office or Habersham County taxpayers, says county spokesperson Rob Moore. Additionally, there is no cost for the inmates to take the courses.
“The busier the inmates are, the better,” says Lt. Amber Chastain, jail commander. “Tablets help calm everyone down, resulting in an environment that is more tranquil, less anxious, and less aggressive.”
Dr. Thomas Dearden is an assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Tech. His research on recidivism supports Chastain’s observations.
“Providing inmates with free educational opportunities can yield many benefits, including calmer, safer detention environment, reduced costs to jails and increased value to the local community,” he says.
Providing educational opportunities and skills training is a key part of reducing recidivism.
“The content on these tablets can help inmates build a foundation for success,” says Terrell. “It will have a significant positive impact on our society and our community now and in the future.”
Other inmate learning opportunities
The inteleTABLET is one of a number of educational opportunities now being offered to jail and prison inmates across the state and country.
The Georgia Department of Corrections and some jails have partnered with the state’s technical colleges to provide learning opportunities for inmates. The Banks County jail recently celebrated four GED graduates through its partnership with Lanier Technical College.
This past June, the U.S. Department of Education announced plans to extend Pell Grant access to prison inmates. For the first time in nearly 30 years, individuals enrolled in approved prison education programs will be eligible for Pell Grants outside a limited pilot program known as the Second Chance Pell Experiment. The Department began accepting applications on July 3, 2023 and will approve applications on a rolling basis.
