Lee Arrendale State Prison Hosts Life University Graduation

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

11 Offenders Receive Associate Degrees through the Chillon Project

FORSYTH, Ga. –On January 28, eleven offenders at Lee Arrendale State Prison received their Associate Degree in Positive Human Development and Social Change with a cumulative GPA of 3.9.  The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) and Life University entered into a partnership in 2016 to offer offenders an opportunity to earn their Associate Degree through the Chillon Project. 

“Collaborating with educational institutions such as, Life University allows the GDC to support efforts to reduce recidivism through education,” said Interim Commissioner, Timothy C. Ward.  “Our goal is to allow offenders an opportunity to gain educational skills that will assist them with re-entry into their communities upon release.” 

“At Life University, we believe in every individual’s potential to flourish,” said Life University Chancellor Dr. Guy Riekeman. “I am exceedingly proud of this moment and the culmination of hard work by the students, faculty and staff associated with this great program, as well as with our partnership with the Department of Corrections for what they are doing to promote higher education in prison.”

The Chillon Project is an undertaking of Life University’s Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics (CCISE), that awards selected students a scholarship and tuition waiver which is funded through grants and private donations.  The Associate Degree in Positive Human Development and Social Change emphasizes the cultivation of inner skills, social skills, critical social analysis, and enables students to think critically and creatively about the problems that face today’s society.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.