FY 2015 Areas of Focus
F
Expansion of inmate programming
iscal Year 2015 marked an historic time for educational programs in the Department of Corrections. GDC
began awarding high school diplomas to offenders at Lee Arrendale State Prison, the first of two charter
high schools funded as part of Governor Nathan Deal’s initiative toward offender reentry. In partnership
with Mountain Education Charter High School, the second offender program opened at Burruss Correctional
Training Center in August, 2015. The year also saw incarcerated veterans being given the opportunity to utilize
their existing veteran educational benefits by taking college courses online. These courses are in addition to
the general education and vocational courses traditionally offered at all facilities. The department’s approach to
education is ever-evolving as technological advances are made that allow for increased delivery of educational
content. Planning for the roll out of Georgia Offender Alternative Learning (G.O.A.L.) devices began in late FY
2015, with distribution of devices expected at GDC female facilities in FY 2016, and expansion to male facilities
through FY 2017. These devices are one of the many ways offenders can have increased access to educational
materials at any time, anywhere throughout the facility.
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Report FY 2015