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Inmate Education
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Inmate Education Program to allow inmates who wish to use education as a bridge from incarceration to becoming productive members of society to participate in those programs which will benefit them the most.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office along with the Houston Community College System provide vocational and academic training programs for inmates in the custody of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to a wide range of vocational offerings, the program includes classes in English as a second language (ESL) and GED.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Inmate Education Section passed the stringent standards set forth by the Correctional Education Association (CEA) with a 100% rating in 2004. We were the first county jail to be nationally certified in this area. In 2007, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Education Section again passed and received Correctional Education Association accreditation.
Goal
It is the goal of the Harris County Sheriffs Office Inmate Education Program along with our partnership with the Houston Community College System to lower the crime rate in the community by showing that through education "there is a better way".
Vision
It is our vision that through our efforts more of the inmates will have a better chance to become productive citizens.
Philosophy and Goals for Educational Programs
Philosophy
The Harris County Sheriff's Office is committed to strong law enforcement, crime control, and fiscal responsibility. Inmate education is seen as a means of achieving positive behavioral change within this conservative philosophical framework. The HCSO believes that criminals should not be given education opportunities beyond those available to the average law abiding citizen, therefore, the education program of the HCSO is designed to provide basic level skills only. Vocational classes are designed to address entry level work skills.
Goals of the HCSO Education Program
Within the conservative philosophy of HCSO, the following overall goals of the education program have been established. Classes should be as self-sufficient as possible.
- Inmate education should be based on hard work and discipline.
- Classes should meet community goals and foster interagency cooperation.
- Inmate classrooms and work spaces should be designed for efficiency and functionality.
- Classes should provide services to the county and the HCSO.
- Classes should be structured to meet the need of the inmate student.
- The Education Program of the HCSO shall comply with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
Student Goals
The faculty and staff of the HCSO Education Program believe that if the individual inmate chooses to take advantage of the education programs offered, success for the student will follow. Success, however, is the responsibility of each student. The following goals are fully attainable if the student maintains a positive and cooperative attitude with the faculty and staff, follows all rules, and actively participates in class.
- Improvement in literacy skills including reading, writing, speaking, spelling, and computing.
- Successful completion of the GED Test.
- Development of marketable skills leading to a post-release job.
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