Correctional facilities should make available programs to teach basic skills and literacy to those individuals who do not have, but are cognitively capable of, developing these skills. Many people in prison or jail have only a limited education. Moreover, for many, English is not their first language. Accordingly, it is no surprise that many people enter correctional institutions lacking the skills needed for today's workplace. At a minimum corrections program staff should ensure that inmates have, or are working to improve, basic skills in the areas of learning, language, math, and computers. Notably, however, such educational programming should take into account the cognitive abilities of the prisoners involved in the program. Some inmates with mental retardation, for instance, might not be able to participate in such programming.

Many of the skilled jobs being created in today's marketplace require some postsecondary education. While it would be preferable to provide every inmate with the opportunity to achieve that level of education, this goal is probably not realistic. Providing educational opportunities that will enable most people to read at the eighth grade level-the level at which a person can be considered functionally literate-should be a universal goal within corrections. Providing the opportunity for interested and able individuals to obtain a high school equivalency or comparable degree should also be a target for most jurisdictions. Correctional institutions should maximize the value of any degree-and minimize the stigma of where it was earned-by ensuring that certificates awarded do not feature the name of the institution.

Functional literacy and a high school equivalency degree should be sufficient to obtain employment in many entry-level jobs in the rapidly growing service sector of the economy. While these jobs have limited pay, benefits, and advancement opportunities, they serve as an important first rung of the ladder for a long-term connection to work and a career.

Example: Enhanced Job Skills Program, Lafayette Parish Correctional Center (LA)

The Enhanced Job Skills Program provides inmates with basic educational skills development as a precursor to job training. Inmates are not allowed into the program unless they have or are working towards their General Equivalency Degree (GED). Once in the program, inmates use a computer-based program called "Destinations" to build basic academic skills in more than 200 job categories. The Destinations program instruction begins at the individual's current education level and seeks to move him or her toward the twelfth grade level. After the person works on this educational phase for approximately two months, he or she can begin the next phase of the program: the development of job-seeking skills and postrelease job placement.

Educational Standards and Certification in the Correctional Setting

Correctional institutions should be required to operate within standards and to be credentialed by appropriate entities. In 1998, the Correctional Education Association (CEA) adopted 74 Standards for Adult and Juvenile Correctional Education Programs, to establish minimum criteria for education programs in any correctional setting. CEA conducts audits for agencies using the standards and provides consultation to those choosing to perform their own internal reviews. Whether adopted from the CEA or created on an institutional or statewide basis, the use of documented standards provides quality control for the programming. CEA's standards include, for example, requirements that all policies, procedures, goals, and organizational structure be documented in manuals, and that teachers' salaries be comparable to the salaries of teachers in the local public schools.