Two inmates earned their General Education Development Certificates Tuesday after successfully completing the GED program while housed at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Hill Road Correctional Facility. Shannon Flores and Jeanne Pizzagrani are the first two female students to earn diplomas since the GED program started in the jail almost two years ago.
The GED program is one of several programs implemented following Criminal Justice Realignment to serve the needs of inmates who are serving increasingly longer multi-year sentences in the local jail. Programs such as these are provided with the hope that inmates can acquire skills and qualifications to help them succeed upon their release from custody, and live a crime free, productive life.
Hill Road Correctional Facility Captain Greg Hosman said that providing inmates who lack a High School Diploma with a High School Equivalency Diploma helps them qualify for more jobs upon their release.
“The participants in this program feel a sense of pride and accomplishment,” Captain Hosman said. “And they see that they are capable of meeting goals when they put their minds and efforts into the program.”
The classes were taught by Virginia Jordan and covered multiple subject areas including Social Studies, Mathematics, Spelling, and Science. Students are eligible to take the California State High School Equivalency Test (HiSet) upon completing the program. A successful student will be awarded a High School Equivalency diploma.
Sheriff Martin expressed his pride for Flores and Pizzagrani for their academic achievement. He encouraged the remaining participants in the program to continue their efforts.
“Possession of a High School Equivalency certificate opens up many doors that were previously closed for the people in this program,” Martin pointed out. “Our hope is for offenders to be able remain free after serving their sentences, and become contributing members of society.”
