Education and Life Skills
Adult Education
At any given time, approximately 50 percent of prisoners at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail do not have a high school diploma. In partnership with Granite Peaks Education, the Jail Programs Division provides a variety of classes to help prisoners improve literacy, complete high school, pass the GED, and ultimately change behaviors so they will be more successful upon completing their sentences.
Classes include:
High School Completion
GED Preparation and Testing
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Last year, 123 prisoners earned their GEDs and 85 received their high school diplomas. Additionally, 108 inmates participated in ESOL classes. 2008 numbers should be higher in all categories.
View Program Impact on Jail Recidivism
Life Skills
Many prisoners return to jail because they lack the skills to successfully fulfill their responsibilities outside the facility. Life Skills is an intensive reintegration program that consists of 150 hours of classroom instruction offered over a four-week period to address many of those needs. Seven general topics are covered.
Thinking for a Change (T4C):
Taught by jail staff, this 20-hour curriculum focuses on the basic principle that thinking (internal behavior) controls actions (external behavior).
Re-integration and Employment Assistance (REAP):
Offered in conjunction with the Department of Workforce Services, Granite Peaks Community Education, and the Health Department, this curriculum covers vital assistance to prisoners in seeking employment upon release. Topics include Social Contract Theory, Barriers to Employment, Career Planning, Resume Writing, Interview Skills, Computer Literacy, Dress for Success, Victim Impact, and Survival Skills for Employability.
Personal Health:
Topics covered include personal health issues (including AIDS and STDs), mental health management, anger management, stress management, and First Aid/CPR certification.
Personal Finances:
Granite Peaks Community Education and the Office of Recovery Services provide valuable information regarding money management in this 10-hour module.
Parenting:
Using the “Love and Logic” curriculum, Granite Peaks Community Education is designed to improve parenting skills and family interactions.
Heroes:
This motivational class, taught by Program Division staff, focuses on self-empowerment and positive life change. The class compels the participants to increase self-awareness by evaluating their current situation and comparing it with who they want to be. Participants learn the importance of attitude in breaking destructive life patterns. Often mentioned by prisoners as the most eye-opening of all components, it also emphasizes the importance of trust and honesty in inter-personal relationships.
Community Resource Seminar:
At the end of each Life Skills session, various community organizations are invited to share resource information. In addition to DWS and Granite Peaks, partners regularly include Vocational Rehabilitation, Salt Lake Community College Skills Center, and the Salt Lake County Library.
In 2007, 138 of 199 participants completed the class and received graduation certificates.
For more information on Education and Treatment Programs, contact
Sgt. Jeremy Martinez
(801) 974-7785
jjmartinez@slco.org