Omaha-Monday will be the first day of school for many individuals in the community corrections program at the Douglas County Department of Corrections.
It is part of a new partnership with the Literacy Center to provide Adult Basic Education through the Day Reporting Program.
"The research connecting a lack of literacy to incarceration is compelling," said Kristen Case, executive director of the Literacy Center. "Our staff will work with people in the community corrections program at a basic level to them get ready to start work on their GED."
The Literacy Center staff will provide participants with a strong focus on reading and writing, plus some work in math and the social sciences to prepare them for DCC’s outstanding reading program.
"These courses will cover the basic skills that are needed to live in society," said Mike Myers, Community Corrections Manager for the Douglas County Department of Corrections. "Studies show that more than 70 percent of the people behind bars in American can’t read above a fourth grade level."
No tax dollars are being used for the program, which will be able to serve roughly 200 people per year once it is fully implemented in the jail and in community corrections.
