IDOC STARTS PILOT PROGRAM FOR INMATE COLLEGE DEGREES - STANDS TO MAKE MILLIONS FROM PELL GRANTS

On August 15, 2022 Idaho prisoners received an email from IDOC Director Josh Tewalt informing us that college courses are now available to some prisoners, and will soon be available to all. While there are already some college-level classes available in most facilities, they do not provide credits. The new courses seem to be those that will lead to a degree through accredited universities.

Whether the IDOC will follow through with the program that by all accounts will help reduce recidivism, or change the rules in the middle of the game as they are known to do (remember the covid vaccination lies they told) remains to be seen.

Here is the email we received on the college courses - typos and all:



COLLEGE COURSES ORFFERED

Message from the Director:

Hello All,

Im writing to let you know about an exciting new program that we are piloting, which promises to help more of you get set up for success in the community. Next week, close to 50 residents from ICIO and PWCC will begin taking college classes for credit at no charge to them. The federal government, under the Second Chance Pell Grants, began paying for this opportunity on July 1, 2023.

We are starting with this small pilot program, but plan to expand to all facilities by 2024, so stay tuned. This academic year, we are partnering with Lewis and Clark State College and the University of Idaho. Together, they are offering courses in math, political science, business, English, geography, communications, psychology, and philosophy.

Until college course are offered in your facility, there are several things you can do to get yourself ready. To be considered for enrollment, you will need to be six months DOR free, be program compliant, and have a high school diploma or GED. If youre missing any of these, you should consider working on them now. Additionally, you will need to complete the RJS computer digital literacy course, as well as a College Prep course, so you can be ready to log into a laptop and have a chance at successful college learning. Having a certificate in Microsoft Word might also help prepare you to write college-level papers.

Reach out to our teams of school staff if you have any questions.

The research is clear that people who have advanced degrees tend to have higher rates of success after incarceration, and I want you to be successful. The Parole Commission and community employers will surely take notice. I encourage you to seriously consider taking advantage of Pell course offerings in the future.

Take care,

Josh