By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton Community College has been serving the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Larned State Correctional Facility since 2001 with educational programming. The programs are designed for incarcerated individuals, covering everything from GED to post-secondary degrees.
In an attempt to empower offenders to successfully reintegrate into society, Barton provides education to better job prospects since a key barrier for ex-offenders is employment. Barton’s Coordinator of Correctional Education Services Nicole Barr said teaching classes to inmates can help break the cycle of incarceration.
"A lot of times these individuals come into prison, and they don't even know that education is something they can obtain," said Barr. "They have grown up in poverty or families that don't support that. When they come to prison, they truly start to find themselves through education. Education provides incarcerated individuals with opportunities for personal growth."
In a presentation to the Barton Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Barr stated for every $1 invested in correctional education saves taxpayers $5 in terms of recidivism costs. Board Chairman Mike Johnson noted the impact of residents who participate in correctional educational programs have a 43% lower chance of reoffending.
"We used to get some pushback from the community as Trustees why we're involved in this," said Johnson. "That recidivism rate...that's a no-brainer. When you can almost reduce it by 50%, that's huge. I would like to know what the state thinks the dollar amount is they're saving. If you could transition that 43% rate into a true dollar number."
Barton offers certificates and degrees at Ellsworth and Larned in welding, plumbing, carpentry, business management and leadership and an associate’s degree in general studies.
Barton Community College is the first in the state to offer online learning to incarcerated students. The online education in correctional facilities launched this past summer and currently has 43 students enrolled this fall in various courses.