Inside CCA magazine March/April 2014: To God Be the Glory!! Unit 900 at the Wheeler Correctional Facility in Alamo, Ga., has cultured an environment of respect and personal growth with significantly fewer incidents and disciplinary actions. All 84 inmates of the men’s dorm are pursuing a college degree, an arduous, yet life-changing process. “These men have made a decision to do something meaningful with their time,” said Tim O’Dell, director of chaplaincy and developmental programs. “It requires them to make a commitment and apply themselves at a level they’ve rarely done before. They are abandoning criminal thinking in favor of a pro-social approach to life.” It all started in 2011 when Titus Baptist College introduced a seminary program for inmates to earn a degree in theology. “God spoke to our hearts about doing something different with the seminary,” said Dr. Dennis Farr, president of Titus Baptist. “In 2010, we began to film our courses, but had no idea what to do with them.” The reason became clear when Farr was attending a conference in Tennessee. He learned that most prison ministries provide only printed instruction, which is not helpful to the large percentage of inmates who cannot read or write. Farr immediately realized the purpose behind recording the classes and was eager to introduce video instruction into the prison system. Titus Baptist, a seminary founded in Alabama in 1993, offers college degrees in theology for men called to be pastors, preachers or teachers. After Farr’s encounter at the conference, Titus Baptist launched the program in two federal prisons in Arkansas and a state prison in Mississippi. In November 2011, the program was added at Wheeler, setting the gears in motion for a transformative experience. Titus offers the program to all Wheeler inmates on a volunteer basis at no cost to the facility or students. To work toward a degree, inmates must possess a high school diploma or GED. The bachelor’s degree requires 120 credit hours and typically takes four years to complete. To accommodate inmates who are released in less than four years, Titus added a two-year associate’s degree. Inmates not enrolled can still benefit from the program by listening to the courses. And, if interested, they can take a test with the assistance of a proctor to earn a diploma of completion. Inmates who volunteer for the degree program are housed together to streamline the administration of classes and raise the level of accountability. They are expected to address staff with respect and to function at a higher standard. With a waiting list for the program, the facility can demand strict adherence to all policies and consistently good conduct from its participants. “By being housed together, they grow together individually and as a group,” CCA’s Chaplain Jay Phillips said. “Before they came to this unit, they hung out with different groups and gangs. They don’t have to put on a front anymore. They can be themselves, then they take what they learn back to their groups and spread the good news.” The student inmates take two courses — about two and a half hours of instruction — per week. They invest another six hours weekly completing post-work. Each class requires two written papers, a massive amount of reading and extensive Bible study. Ultimately, the program can reduce recidivism by providing inmates with the knowledge and tools needed to make radical, lasting change. “We’re not just preaching to them, but teaching them to open the Bible and dig for concrete, physical things they can do,” said Farr. “The light is going on in the lives of these men. Any man who grasps it in his heart you will never see in prison again. It changes them. If you change your thought process, actions will follow.” Unit 900 inmates also have the opportunity to participate in The Life Principles Program that teaches leadership and how to put a life plan into action. It functions seamlessly in combination with the seminary program by preparing inmates for a future outside the correctional system. “One guy said he left home as the black sheep of his family and town,” Farr said. “When he goes back, he plans to ask the preacher of his wife’s church if he can teach Sunday school. He will leave here with more Bible training than most ministers.” To ensure continued success, the Wheeler facility hopes to offer customized training for staff and correctional officers to work with this unique population of inmates. If an inmate enrolled in the program is released prior to completing his degree, he can continue his education with Titus Baptist. Currently, 15 students are finishing the program outside the facility.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 03:43:17 +0000
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