South Piedmont Community College is celebrating a state-leading increase in educational attainment by incarcerated individuals at Anson Correctional Institution.
“South Piedmont’s Department of Correctional Education has dramatically increased the number high school equivalency credentials and vocational courses completed by students at Anson Correctional Institution,” said Interim President Michelle Brock.
“I want to congratulate the instructors involved in this achievement, as well as the students for their hard work in advancing their education and preparing for productive lives after they are released.”
Last year, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction issued a challenge to the state’s prison facilities to increase the number high school equivalency and vocational certifications earned.
During the competition, which ran from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, incarcerated individuals earned 3,930 educational credentials, nearly quadruple the three-year average of 949 educational credentials earned each year during 2020-23.
Anson Correctional Institution was the state’s overall winner of the challenge, increasing educational achievement by 398 percent.
“I have to give our Correctional Education team a huge shout-out and congratulations. This is for not only meeting the HiSET and vocational course goal set for us in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction challenge, but for crushing that goal by almost 400 percent. Our team took home first place, not only in our region, but for the entire state,” said Director of Correctional Education Jason Miller.
“This team of instructors along with our Anson Correctional partners dug in to not only increase our class sizes, but also to assist more students with achieving their goals of vocational course completions and HiSET graduations.”
Anson Correctional Institution houses female offenders in close- and medium-custody housing units and male offenders in a minimum-custody unit. South Piedmont partners with Anson Correctional to provide educational programming to the offenders.