Overview and Philosophy
GDC's written policy establishes a "holistic philosophy of education" as the foundation for all correctional education programming. SOP 108.01 (Education Programs Administration) states that "correctional educators believe that helping individuals develop their cognitive abilities and life skills while providing meaningful employment skills will help offenders have the ability and desire to choose socially acceptable behaviors as alternatives to their current lifestyles." The public benefit rationale is also stated explicitly: "better educated, well adjusted, and productive citizens are less likely to recidivate and more likely to make positive contributions to society."
SOP 108.01 lists the program components that make up the comprehensive education system:
- Academic Education
- Career Technical Education (CTE)
- Higher Education
- Special Education
- On-the-Job Training (OJT) Programs
- Skills Training Programs
This same SOP requires that an individual program plan be developed for each student — a standard that also appears in the boot camp context (SOP 210.05) and the Transitional Center context (SOP 215.17), signaling cross-system importance.
The Board of Corrections regulation Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.04 (SOP 1380) independently establishes that "each institution shall provide educational courses consistent with the capacity and the demonstrated interests of the inmate population," and that the objective of every institution should be "the creation and operation of a program which will fulfill inmate educational needs from the illiteracy level through the high school equivalency level."
Academic Education: Literacy Through GED
SOP 108.02 (Program Services/Education Services) is the primary operational policy for academic education. It states that "in each state prison and private prison, instruction is provided in literacy and remedial reading (L/RR), adult basic education (ABE), and in the skills necessary for attainment of a High School Equivalency." Programs up to completion of high school or an approved High School Equivalency are available at no cost to offenders.
Academic placement flows from assessment. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.03 (SOP 1379) requires that "standardized tests to determine academic achievement levels and vocational aptitude shall be administered to each inmate in order to provide initial data on which to base training decisions." SOP 108.01 references GDC's own Next Generation Assessment (NGA) tool for identifying programming needs.
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.04 (SOP 1380) sets a specific floor: "each inmate whose standard test scores indicate that his (her) educational level is below the 8th grade shall be encouraged, and where possible, assigned to attend appropriate scheduled academic courses for a minimum of ten (10) hours per week." The phrase "where possible" limits the enforceability of this requirement.
GED / High School Equivalency Testing
SOP 108.04 (High School Equivalency Testing Centers) governs the administration of HSE/GED tests. Key operational details:
- Central Office determines which facilities serve as testing sites.
- Contracts with local adult education centers (operated through the Technical College System of Georgia, TCSG) provide testing services; GDC staff may administer tests when TCSG cannot.
- Contracts must be in place before GDC staff test offenders at private prisons and county prisons.
- An offender must be verified as prepared by meeting the requirements of an approved assessment — typically a minimum score of 145 on the applicable GED practice subtest — before being allowed to sit for the exam.
- TCSG issues HSE diplomas; official transcripts must be requested from TCSG, not from the facility.
Career Technical Education (CTE)
SOP 108.08 (Career Technical Education) defines CTE as "education that prepares students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers" — formerly called Vocational Education. The parallel Board regulation, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.05 (SOP 1381), requires that vocational programs be "based on employment potential and inmate interest and capabilities" and that "the goal of such training should be to provide a level of skills marketable in private industry."
Enrollment Requirements
SOP 108.08 sets two hard eligibility criteria:
1. Disciplinary record: The offender must have received no disciplinary reports for the past six (6) months. Any exception requires Warden approval.
2. Program entrance requirements: Offenders must meet requirements set by the accrediting body. Special Education students may have modified entry requirements determined by that same body.
Facilities must maintain a minimum enrollment of 85% of determined program capacity and must maintain a minimum program completion rate as specified annually by Central Office.
Identification of candidates is a shared responsibility of the offender's counselor, other staff, and the Classification Committee (per SOP 220.03). Identification should consider programs both at the offender's current facility and at other GDC facilities — the latter potentially requiring an inter-institutional transfer.
Staff operating CTE programs are required to use "the advice and assistance of labor, business, and industrial organizations to assist in providing skills relevant to the job market" (SOP 108.08).
Live Works Projects
SOP 108.12 (Live Works Projects) allows CTE students to work on actual property as part of their training, provided the work "primarily benefits the State by contributing to offenders acquiring educational skills" and aligns with the curriculum of the specific CTE program. Projects are prioritized in this order: GDC/Board property first, then other state agencies, then local government, then other governmental entities, then non-profit organizations, then GDC employees' property, then other government employees' property. Motor vehicle/equipment repair on insurance-claimed items is not permitted.
On-the-Job Training (OJT)
SOP 108.11 (On-the-Job Training Programs) establishes OJT as "an extension of and supplement to the classroom/laboratory Career Technical and Higher Education (CTHE) programs." OJT programs run on skilled and semi-skilled institutional work details where a training potential has been identified.
Key structural elements:
- Each facility designates an OJT Coordinator responsible for ensuring programs are conducted in accordance with policy and for completing all paperwork and data entry.
- A task/competency checklist is developed for each detail, with input from labor, business, industrial organizations, and TCSG.
- Offenders who complete all tasks on a competency checklist receive a certificate of completion.
OJT programs apply broadly — to State and County Facilities, Transitional Centers, Integrated Treatment Facilities, Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities, and Detention Centers.
Post-Secondary / Higher Education
SOP 108.05 (Post-Secondary Education) governs access to college-level instruction. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.04 (SOP 1380) provides the regulatory backdrop, noting that "opportunities for college level training may be provided through in-house classes, correspondence courses, and, in selected cases, through educational release."
Prison Education Programs (PEP) and Pell Grants
SOP 108.05 defines a Prison Education Program (PEP) as a post-secondary program that has been approved by GDC, the Board of Education, and its accrediting body, with programming "funded through federal Pell Grant funds." All institutions of higher learning must be approved before beginning a program at any GDC facility, regardless of PEP status. Upon approval, the institution must enter into a Services Agreement (MOU) with GDC.
Correspondence Courses
An offender wishing to take a post-secondary correspondence course must obtain prior approval from the Deputy Warden of Care and Treatment (DWCT), or designee, before enrolling. The approval or disapproval is documented in SCRIBE. The offender (or the offender's family) is responsible for arranging enrollment, payment, and all other requirements with the provider. Facility staff are not required to proctor or tutor, though they may do so.
Enrollment Priorities and Protections
SOP 108.05 states that priority for enrollment may be given based on sentence length, disciplinary history, and prior academic/CTE performance. Once enrolled, a SCRIBE alert must be entered indicating the offender should only be transferred to facilities with the same program or a Transitional Center — a transfer protection designed to preserve ongoing enrollment.
During lockdowns, GDC facility leadership is required to "make reasonable accommodations to create a positive and productive learning environment," including allowing access to educational materials.
Special Education
SOP 108.03 (Special Education) establishes GDC's obligations under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). All offenders under 22 years of age are screened for prior diagnosis of disabilities relating to educational needs. Those who qualify receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed by an IEP team, and services must be delivered in the least restrictive environment.
The Georgia Department of Education conducts annual compliance monitoring of GDC's special education records and services. GDC receives grant funding tied to an annual Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Count of offenders served.
Transitional Centers
SOP 215.17 (Transitional Center Resident Programs and Services) requires that TCs establish an academic education program using community resources and/or volunteers — including local adult education coordinators and technical school staff — when a full-time education staff member is not available. The focus is on "literacy, Adult Basic Education, and GED preparation courses." Selection is based on assessed need and availability. When appropriate, post-release plans must include the continuation of educational activities. Because TC residents are expected to maintain full-time employment, programs are offered during non-working hours.
Instructor Qualifications
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 125-4-2-.07 (SOP 1383) sets minimum standards for education personnel:
- Academic instructors must meet State teacher certification standards.
- Vocational instructors must be licensed or credentialed per State Department of Education criteria.
- Full-time academic and vocational teachers must spend a minimum of 30 hours per week performing active instruction, testing, and guidance.
- Education supervisors with fewer than 5 subordinates must spend a minimum of 15 hours per week in an active teaching role.
- Educational personnel are encouraged to attend at least one training workshop, conference, or college course per year.
SOP 108.02 further specifies that Central Office provides and establishes uniform education standards meeting Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) compliance for educators.
Computer Access for Education
SOP 204.07 (Inmate Use of Computers) permits inmate computer access only for educational and vocational purposes, in supervised settings, on stand-alone systems that are not connected to any network or phone line. Inmates are explicitly prohibited from accessing modems, file servers, network equipment, passwords, facility operational data, and external storage media. An "Education LAN" — a LAN designed solely to support educational or vocational programs, including online testing and instruction — is permitted under defined conditions.
Program Incentives and Certificates
Performance Incentive Credit (PIC)
SOP 214.02 (Performance Incentive Credit Program) directly ties education participation to sentence length. Offenders can accumulate up to 12 months credit off their length of stay by completing educational and/or vocational programming, treatment programs, work details, and demonstrating good behavior. Favorable reports are made to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. A PIC Oversight Team — including representatives from Vocational/Educational Services, the Parole Board, and other GDC operational areas — meets monthly to oversee the program.
Program and Treatment Completion Certificate
SOP 107.13 establishes a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate that documents all programs, treatment, education, vocational training, and work history during the current incarceration. To be eligible, an offender must:
1. Be Mental Health Level 3 or below;
2. Not be convicted of a serious violent felony (as defined in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1);
3. Have no active ICE detainer;
4. Not have been convicted of additional crimes during the current incarceration;
5. Not have been found guilty of a High or Greater Disciplinary Report within the last 12 months prior to release;
6. Not have a refusal or disciplinary withdrawal from programs within the last 12 months.
GDC explicitly states it is "under no obligation to issue a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate to offenders who do not meet the established criteria."
Oversight and Audits
SOP 107.14 (Office of Reentry Services Audit Process) requires the Inmate Services Division to conduct audits, quality assurance evaluations, fidelity checks, and site visits of academic, vocational, cognitive behavioral, and reentry programs at all applicable facilities at least every two (2) years. Facilities must submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) addressing all critical findings within 30 days. The Georgia Program Assessment Inventory (GPAI) measures compliance with evidence-based principles proven to reduce recidivism.
Animal Programs
SOP 108.13 (Animal Programs) establishes a distinct vocational/educational pathway: offenders train and care for animals in partnership with contracted rescue organizations, shelters, and service dog trainers. Programs operate "at no cost to GDC." Contractors running therapy/service dog programs must be accredited by Assistance Dogs International or an equivalent nationally recognized organization. Offenders serving as Primary Handlers take full-time responsibility for assigned animals.