Wednesday, May 1, 1996

More GEDs earned at Brownwood Prison than any other

By ANNA M. TINSLEY
Harte-Hanks Austin Bureau

More inmates at the Thomas Havins Unit in Brownwood have earned GEDs so far this year than any Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility.

The 500-bed substance abuse facility has awarded 58 high school equivalency diplomas.

So far this year, 1,319 diplomas have been awarded at Texas prisons. According to prison statistics, 42 diplomas have been awarded at the French Robertson Unit in Abilene, 8 at the John Middleton Unit in Abilene, 15 at the Price Daniel Unit in Snyder, 18 at the "80 John" Wallace Unit in Colorado City and 25 at the Walker Sayle Unit in Breckenridge.

During the 1994-1995 school year, 5,350 GEDs were awarded to inmates at 57 Texas prisons, according to the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. And Texas was the leader among states which award GEDs to inmates.

GEDs give some inmates their first taste of success, said Tony Sanchez, principal of the Windham School at the Thomas Havins Unit. The Windham School teaches some 60,000 inmates at 83 prison units or jails in Texas.

"Education helps overall, it doesn't have to be a GED," Sanchez said. "For the first time in some of these guys' lives, they have experienced success. Most of them are interested in continuing their education."

It costs about $932 to teach one inmate for one school year. But prison officials say the cost is worth it because inmates with GEDs are less likely to return to prison than those without, according to a Windham School District report on recidivism.

But a crime victims group says the cost isn't worth it.

"We keep trying to educate these people. First we offer public education. then we try again in the prison system," said Pam Lychner, founder of Justice For All, a Houston-based victims and criminal justice reform organization. "I know citizens are really tired of paying for repeated education. (Inmates) were offered education the first time (in public schools) and they chose another life. Where does it stop?"

Mike Morrow, deputy superintendent for the Windham School District, said, "The No. 1 contributor to a person staying out of prison is employment. Most employers won't talk to people unless they have a high school diploma or GED.

"And if they don't have a job ... they'll get money by selling drugs or stealing or whatever," he said. "That GED is vital to the future of their success of getting out of prison and staying out."

Inmates who received a GED in prison had a 25.2 percent recidivism or return rate, compared to a rate of 36.8 percent of inmates who didn't get a GED, according to the recidivism report.
Windham teachers aren't just working to improve inmates' literacy rates.

"When a person is going through the program, they are working for a positive goal. And that improves their self-esteem tremendously," said Marjie Haynes, director of instructional services for the Windham School System. "The impact on the family is impressive too. It helps family members have faith in them and sets examples for their own children.

"It's almost as though they realize they were able to achieve almost against the odds," she said. "And if they can meet that challenge, they can meet others: Such as resisting crime."