CCA's ''Adult Education in Spanish'' Program Prepares Detainees for Successful Release
Graduation at Cibola County Correctional Center Brings Total Graduates From Company's Innovative Program to More Than 2,000

Last update: 4:37 p.m. EDT July 24, 2008

MILAN, N.M., Jul 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- More than 300 undocumented immigrant offenders at Corrections Corporation of America's (CCA) Cibola County Correctional Center recently achieved an educational milestone, joining the ranks of the more than 2,000 offenders nationwide who have earned educational certificates through the company's innovative Adult Education in Spanish program.
On July 15, offenders at the Milan, N.M., facility participated in a graduation ceremony, which was attended by local dignitaries and representatives from Mexico's National Institute of Adult Education (INEA).
"The graduation ceremony was a robust showing of the tenacity and tremendous commitment of our offenders," says Eric Torres, principal of the education department at Cibola, which began offering the program in 2001. "Achieving such a milestone sets the tone for future vocational, professional and educational opportunities that these offenders will be better prepared to pursue when they reintegrate within their home communities."
All offenders at Cibola, which is privately operated under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, are illegal immigrants. The facility was the first to roll out the Adult Education in Spanish program, which is now offered at four other CCA facilities - California City Correctional Center (California City, Calif.), Eden Detention Center (Eden, Texas), McRae Correctional Facility (McRae, Ga.) and Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (Youngstown, Ohio). The program is also available at Crowley Correctional Center (Olney Springs, Colo.), Florence Correctional Center (Florence, Ariz.) and Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (Tutwiler, Miss.), where populations are managed for the Colorado Department of Corrections and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, respectively.
Previously referred to as the Mexican GED program, this opportunity provides offenders with the Mexican educational equivalent of elementary (primaria - grades 1-6), middle (secundaria - grades 7-9) and high school (preparatoria - grades 10-12) completion. When offenders who have graduated from the program are released, they return to their country of origin with a recognized educational credential. This seamless approach has been made possible through CCA's eight-year partnership with the INEA. Based in Mexico City, INEA collaborated closely with CCA's Inmate Programs department to implement the program, which mirrors the one offered in Mexico.
"CCA was the first correctional institution to support and fully integrate this program. Today 36 different correctional centers - state, federal and privately operated - are working with INEA," says Patricia Ramos Mendez, from INEA. "More than 6,000 inmates participate, and almost half of them are hosted in CCA facilities. Many graduates have said that they rediscovered their self-esteem by participating in this program and also found their re-entry into society less problematic than anticipated."
"We know that educational attainment can improve outcomes for offenders upon release," adds Dennis Bradby, CCA's vice president of Inmate Programs. "This positive correlation is a universal one - true not only for American citizens who are incarcerated, but also for those from other countries in similar circumstances. Educational opportunities are an equalizer, promoting increased marketability in the work force and strengthened self-esteem for offenders, who hopefully may return to their communities as rehabilitated, restored citizens."
A range of vocational programs designed to train offenders in many trades, such as masonry and horticulture, are also offered at Cibola and other CCA facilities to help them better navigate the transition to their home communities.
"The Adult Education in Spanish program is a prime example of CCA's continued commitment to offer vocational and academic programs as part of a rehabilitative model intended to address offenders' varied and unique needs," says Bradby. "As part of our vision to be the best full-service adult corrections system in the country, we stand by our commitment to provide enriching and relevant opportunities to offenders in our care."
To learn more about CCA programming, please visit:
http://www.correctionscorp.com/facility ... /facility- operations/inmate-programs/ (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste it into your Internet browser's URL address field. You may also need to remove an extra space in the URL if one exists.)
About CCA
CCA is the founder and industry leader of the private corrections management industry, representing the nation's fourth-largest corrections system, behind the federal government and two states. CCA currently operates 65 facilities, including 42 that are company-owned, with a total design capacity exceeding 80,000 beds in 19 states and the District of Columbia, with more than 17,000 employees who provide comprehensive educational, vocational, therapeutic and addictions treatment programs intended to prepare inmates for successful re-integration with society.
SOURCE: Corrections Corporation of America
Corrections Corporation of America
Louise Grant, 615-263-3106 or 615-289-4298
Louise.grant@correctionscorp.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008
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