Rebuilding Lives. Strengthening Communities.

MAYORAL POLICY CAUCUS ON PRISONER REENTRY
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This past year, Mayor Daley proposed legislation in the
Illinois legislature, which was signed by the Governor in
July 2005, that charged IDOC to double the percentage of
prisoners who enroll in GED classes and simultaneously
created an incentive for prisoners to pursue their education
by offering 60 additional days of good conduct credit
for earning a GED in prison. 28 Passage of this bill was a
significant step forward, but the eligibility restrictions of
this credit must be eliminated for maximum impact.
Finally, IDOC should consider innovative ways to expand
educational options without significantly expanding
School District 428’s staff. For example, City Colleges of
Chicago has considerable experience providing GED
preparation to prisoners in Cook County Jail, 29 and is a
large provider of distance learning worldwide. 30
Combining these two resources (with the teachers union’s
consent), City Colleges could broadcast GED courses over
the correctional institutions’ existing closed circuit television
network or through a web-based stream, increasing
the number of prisoners who would have the opportunity
to obtain their GED. City Colleges could provide the
teachers; IDOC would simply need to provide facilitators
in prison classrooms. IDOC’s existing teaching staff could,
then, devote resources to prisoners who need more
personalized instruction to successfully complete a GED
course.
“I have seen what an education can
do for inmates. It opens their
minds to opportunities. It gives
them hope for a better life for
themselves and their loved ones.
Society benefits because they
become taxpayers and not
tax burdens.”
Dr. Michael Elliott
Executive Director of the Department of Human and
Community Renewal, Roosevelt University