Commissioner: Homer Bryson

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Number up 752 from previous fiscal year

FORSYTH, Ga. – In fiscal year 2016 (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016), 1,224 incarcerated men and women received their GED. This number is 224 above the goal set by the GDC Education team, and 752 higher than the previous year (472).

“Thanks to the support of Governor Nathan Deal, technical colleges across the state, our dedicated GDC staff, and determined students, we more than doubled the number of GEDs received last fiscal year,” said Commissioner Bryson. “Re-entry is a top priority in the state of Georgia, and allowing offenders to obtain a GED during their incarceration is a vital step.”

The Department’s 12-month GED program measures an individual’s aptitude in science, mathematics, social studies, reading and writing. Part-time and full-time GDC staff members, supplemented by instructors from local technical colleges, deliver the classroom-based instruction and administer the GED tests.

The GED program is voluntary, but is available in all state and private prisons, boot camps, residential substance abuse treatment centers (RSAT), and transitional centers (TC). The Department also offers a fast-track GED program at Lee Arrendale, Johnson and Washington State Prisons, which lasts 10-12 weeks and targets offenders who have higher reading and math levels.

Per Rand Corporation study (2014), "How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where do We Go From Here," it is reported that for every dollar invested in GED correctional education, there is future savings of five dollars.

“Education reform is the ultimate criminal justice reform,” said Governor Nathan Deal to the GDC teacher body at the Annual GDC Academic Education Conference in Macon, Georgia on June 22, 2016. “Education is the cornerstone of success and will ultimately make individuals more productive and society safer.”

The 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 478-992-5248 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.