Wednesday, March 29, 2006

GED classes are again available to jail inmates

Evelyn Cronce El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

After personnel changes and structural conditions at the Socorro Detention Center had caused classes to be temporarily suspended, the classes have resumed.

Over a year ago, GED and Fatherhood classes were held in the second floor meeting room in the detention center. In 2004, the classes were cancelled because of understaffing at the detention center.

"They said they just couldn't have a guard up there," remembered Al Romero, an instructor with Adult Basic Education. "Then the upstairs was condemned because of the plumbing and heating not working. We were told that they would find a room to hold classes."

The detention center offered the old visiting room for the classes, but it proved to be too small.

"Fifteen men just wouldn't fit into the room. The men were sitting on the floor shoulder-to-shoulder, just visiting with each other. There was no chalkboard and the ceiling was too low to even set up our easel for our big pad of paper," said Romero, who also teaches fatherhood classes at the jail.

The age of the building and the plumbing system eventually made the second floor unsuitable for anything except storage. The classes were temporarily discontinued.

Continuing efforts both on the side of Socorro Consolidated Schools Adult Basic Education Division and the detention administration has led to the reinstatement of the classes.

"We have 15 people signed up," said Romero. "Six women and nine men."

The classes will be held in the arraignment room on Mondays and Fridays, from 8 a.m. until about noon. The men and women will be in separate groups, with one group meeting on Mondays and the other meeting on Fridays.

According to jail administrator, Evangel Maldonado, the room is usually empty in the mornings because arraignments begin at 3 p.m.

Maldonado said, "I think this is a great idea. They'll get out of jail with a GED. Maybe they won't come back."

County Manager Matejka Ray-Olguin said, "This is part of the detention center's program to give people a chance to adjust better to society after they are released."

Socorro County Commissioner Charles Gallegos said that his hope is that "they will improve themselves and by doing so, will improve those around them, their family and their kids."

Romero will test each student to learn what subjects are weak. Then, he will give each of them the individual tutoring needed to pass the GED test. He stressed that no one is incapable of getting a GED. Some students will take longer, but it is not hopeless.

He also assured the students that any work that is done in the classes in the detention center and any test scores in pre-GED testing are fully transferable to any GED program outside of the detention center. Therefore, if students are released before they have completed their classes, they may simply come to the program at the Adult Basic Education to continue working toward their diploma. For inmates who do not live in Socorro, their test scores and class work applies throughout the state.

Romero lets the inmates know that he believes they can do it — they can achieve that GED. One inmate commented to Romero that she had been told that she only had a second grade level in math. Romero told her that is not a problem. They'll work on it.

ecronce@dchieftain.com

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