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Chisago County, with its just-opened public safety  facility, is expanding and enhancing rehabilitative programs for offenders.  The corrections part of what the public safety center represents is now prominently in the mix.

Last week a 27-year-old inmate became a high school graduate and shared her proud moment achieving her GED with the press, family and friends.

This never would have happened at the old Chisago County jail.  The library there consisted of book shelves in a noisy dayroom. The old facility lacked educational stations and had virtually no room to provide formal instruction.  The old jail couldn’t offer GED testing because it didn’t meet standards for administering the test.  

The new jail Educational Programming Director Terry Davis and Sheriff Brandon Thyen were obviously pleased last week to be on hand as the second inmate to acquire a high school equivalency diploma, Natasha Sanchez,  celebrated.  (The first inmate receiving his GED in April, preferred to keep things private.)

The program is on a roll,  Director Davis declared.

Since the first of the year 15 have signed up.  They’ll finish equivalency diplomas within varying timeframes, it all depends where they enter the program academically.  Davis explained there’s a two part evaluation exam and then independent and instructor-led study is based on the assessment for the student’s level of education.  It’s all still quite new, but the program averages about two to three inmates a week.  
Natasha Sanchez wore a black cap and gown for her commencement June 14. The diploma equivalency certificate will be mailed out to her after processing.  Just like any graduation day there were hugs and smiles all around.

Sanchez finished in the knick of time, for two reasons. Her release date (she is in on a probation violation now) is later next week and she has a due-date soon. Sanchez not only is looking at starting down a new personal path, she is expecting a baby boy in July.  Father-to-be, Josh, stayed right beside Natasha through this interview.

The fact that she is bringing a new life into the world isn’t lost on Natasha.  She is taking advantage of every program and opportunity available to her to redirect her life course, including hopefully enrolling later in on-line college.

Sanchez explained how she was on the verge of graduating high school about a decade ago-- but she chose instead to devote her time to a five-year-old,  who was part of the package in a relationship she had as a high school senior.   “I felt like she needed a mom more than I needed to stay in school,” she said.   

According to Davis GED testing costs $180, which is currently being covered through existing jail commissary/canteen account revenues.  Davis said it’s something the jail can and should do for offenders, to improve their chances so they don’t return.  He observed, “They have to be able to make things better for themselves” and education has been proven to be a solid step in that direction.

Chisago County has outstanding volunteers involved in jail programming, Sheriff Brandon Thyen added. He joked there are days when it seems there’s more volunteers than inmates on site.  

The GED main instructor, affiliated with SCRED, is one of the reasons this complicated program works.  SCRED is an educational consortium based in Rush City, that develops and provides special education and non-traditional learner services. It also aids in staff development for school districts throughout the greater St Croix River Education District.   This instructor downloads materials onto laptops at SCRED and brings lessons directly to inmates.  He also donates his class time. Sanchez explained that the one-on-one instruction in the Chisago County sessions is something she really appreciated and she liked that she was allowed to study and read in her cell.
 
Sanchez comes across as someone who has not only discovered that she can reach an important goal, but she genuinely gets how valuable a second chance is.  You can’t take that or the diploma away from her.

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