Ivy Tech Community College Selected as Educational Partner for Indiana Department of Correction

Community college will provide Adult Basic Education services

(File Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ivy Tech Community College has been selected to serve as an educational partner with the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC). The statewide community college will provide Adult Basic Education services and college-credit courses at 15 correctional facilities across the state of Indiana. The partnership will be managed out of the Ivy Tech Madison campus.

The Indiana Department of Correction Education Division provides high-quality educational services to incarcerated individuals. The Adult Basic Education program provides learning opportunities up to a high school equivalency diploma for those incarcerated to assist in providing them the best chances for successful re-entry.

“We are pleased to partner with the Indiana Department of Correction and thankful for our Madison campus leading in these efforts,” Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann said. “As the state’s community college, we serve various populations all with the same goal in mind – to utilize education to take the next step in their journey. Those journeys are different for everyone, but in the end, we serve the people of our state through accessible world-class education meeting our students where they are at.”

“Education is important for the incarcerated population we serve and is an essential part of our mission for successful re-entry into communities upon release from an Indiana DOC facility. This partnership allows us to continue fulfilling that mission,” IDOC Deputy Commissioner of Re-Entry and Youth Services Christine Blessinger said.

Under the leadership of the Ivy Tech Madison campus, nearly 90 employees will serve an estimated 3,600 incarcerated individuals statewide, providing workforce prep activities, integrated education and training, integrated English literacy and civics education, and English as a second language skills. The services delivered will be aligned to, and within, the guidelines and requirements of the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

“This is another great example of Ivy Tech teaming up with the state of Indiana as we embrace our vision of economic transformation inspired by the educational attainment of our citizens, the vitality of our workforce, and the prosperity of our unique and diverse communities,” Ivy Tech Madison Chancellor Molly Dodge said.

The services Ivy Tech will provide will be designed to help an individual acquire a combination of basic academic, critical thinking, digital literacy, and self-management skills. All IDOC education programs will be a service-based approach that provides adult education and literacy activities, concurrently and contextually, with workforce preparation activities and workforce training. The goal of the integrated English literacy and civics education program is to provide a program that would prepare adults for employment in in-demand occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency.  

The Indiana Department of Correction and Ivy Tech entered into a four-year agreement to provide these educational services. This agreement builds on prior work Ivy Tech has done with IDOC which began in November of 2017. Through that partnership, 699 individuals were provided the opportunity to participate in training such as manufacturing production, CNC machining (mill and lathe), OSHA, and welding. To date, these students have earned 1,280 industry recognized certifications preparing them for entry-level careers in high-wage, high demand fields.