Solutions, Volume 17, Number 1, Fall 2019 Page: 5
11 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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IT'S NEVER TOO LATI
INCARCERATED STITDENTS RECEIVE ASSOCIATE DEGR EESBy Joe Shine
Most are familiar with the adage that
states, "If you think you can and if you
think you can't, you're right." On June
22, 2019, a graduation took place to
celebrate those who looked in the mirror
and said, "I think I can." Thanks to
hard work, determination and a desire
to improve their circumstances, nearly
200 incarcerated students (Students)
received their Associate Degrees. As part
of a collaboration between the Lee College
Huntsville Center and the U.S. Department
of Education's Second Chance Pell
Initiative, Students were given access to
postsecondary courses and have now
earned their degrees.
Texas Workforce Commissioner
Representing Labor Julian Alvarez was
invited to the facility to meet the graduates
and provide the commencement speech
for the ceremony.
"A postsecondary degree is a vital step
towards finding good paying jobs that lead
to financial security," said Commissioner
Alvarez. "I'm proud of the individuals
at the Lee College Huntsville Center.
We've all had obstacles in our lives, some
beyond our control, that can be difficult to
overcome. I applaud the resolve of these
Students as they work to ensure that when
the time comes they are properly prepared
to find fulfilling careers as part of the
thriving Texas workforce."
The U.S. has the highest incarceration
rate in the world, so prison education
programs that provide opportunities for
Students to reenter society with the toolsfor success are essential. With a focus
on promoting degrees aimed at creating
self-sufficient Students ready to fill high
demand jobs, institutions like the Lee
College Huntsville Center are not only
enriching the lives of their Students but
bettering the community around them.
"Education in prison works," said Dr.
Michael Gary, a Professor at Lee College.
"If you get your associate degree, the
recidivism rate's about 10 percent-90
percent stay out, 10 percent come back.
With no higher education, the recidivism
rate's about 60 percent-you stand a better
than 50-50 chance of coming back to
prison."
For these, and future grads, the TWC
will be there to support them when
they are ready to reenter the workforce.
Utilizing a $100,000 Fidelity Bond Grant,
the TWC will be able to coordinate with
local boards to apply these funds to help
at-risk job applicants, such as ex-offenders,
get and keep jobs. Through free fidelity
bonding, a type of insurance policy that
protects the employer against employee
acts of dishonesty such as larceny,
embezzlement, and theft, the TWC and
the Workforce Development Boards can
reduce employers' concerns about hiring
at-risk job applicants who cannot be
bonded through other sources.
Either the job applicant or the
prospective employer can request bonding
through any Workforce Solutions office.
If the applicant is eligible, bonding
coverage is effective immediately following
certification or on the applicant's first day
of work once certified.A rewarding career that provides job
security and peace of mind should be
available to all Texans, no matter their
circumstances. Through TWC sponsored
Fidelity Bonding and programs like those
available at the Lee College Huntsville
Center, a historically underserved
population is being given the chance to
say, "I think I can," and better their lives
through education.
~(CPictured at Top
Students at the Lee College Huntsville Center Graduation
Pictured Above:
Commissioner Alvarez speaks to Lee College Huntsville
Center Class of 2019
SOLUTIONS 2019 I FALL 54
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Texas Workforce Commission. Solutions, Volume 17, Number 1, Fall 2019, periodical, Autumn 2017; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1551275/m1/5/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.