Project:  Better Chance

Project:  Better Chance was implemented in October, 1990, and is administered by the Literacy Council of Williamson County (LCWC), in cooperation with numerous other community agencies. Project: Better Chance serves three offender populations: inmates at the Williamson County Jail; residents of the Central Texas Treatment Center; and offenders sentenced by the courts to community supervision through the Williamson County CSCD.

 Williamson County Jail    The LCWC implemented the Education Acceleration Program (EAP) for jail inmates October 18, 1990. During the first program year, 131 participants were served and in fiscal year ’00, 137 jail inmates were served During the fiscal year, 8 inmates received their GED certificates.

Jail inmates requesting to participate in the literacy program are interviewed, assessed, and if found deficient in language or math skills or lacking a diploma or GED, are assigned to a class as space allows. Program applicants are assessed using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). An assessment specialist, working closely with the jail staff, administers the TABE, orients prisoners to the program, makes preliminary determination of suitability for the program, and provides instructors with information about participants for educational goal setting.

The emphasis within the curriculum is on reading, primarily in the areas of science and social studies. The Literacy Council provides tutors to assist inmates. One full-time instructor supervises the program with self-instructional EAP materials. In addition to the original classroom curriculum, a jail library of circulating books was established in November, 1990.

The staff coordinates volunteer groups and individuals who provide services at the jail. The largest single volunteer group is the Jail Ministry, consisting of representatives from religious groups in the community.

Central Texas Treatment Center    The self-instructional EAP was implemented at CTTC in January, 1991. In fiscal year ’00, 77 residents received 1,058 educational hours. The instructional model used at the center is flexible to individualize treatment for offenders.

Tutoring is available from both literacy volunteers and peer tutors. In addition to EAP, the program offers GED preparation services. Other instructional resources include typing, resume writing, SAT preparation and advanced math. Program emphasis has shifted toward GED preparation as a major curriculum component. Residents were awarded 19 GEDs in fiscal year ’00.

Williamson County CSCD    In March, 1991, EAP was expanded to serve adult offenders placed on community supervision by the courts. In fiscal year ’00, the program served 421 offenders compared to 320 the previous year, representing a 32% overall increase in the number served.

In fiscal year ’92, a program center was established in Taylor. In Round Rock, offenders were served at the Employment Resources Training Center and a center, located in Cedar Park, was established in fiscal year ’94. Classes for both Round Rock and Cedar Park are offered in the evenings and focus on GED preparation.

The program expanded services to the Richarte Learning Center (RLC) in Georgetown in fiscal year ’94. The RLC is an alternative educational program for the Georgetown Independent School District and serves single parents, pregnant teens and other individuals interested in completing high school or earning a GED. Effective partnerships have developed between the school district and the program, making GED preparation available to individuals not necessarily on community supervision, but interested in continuing their education. Combining offenders with non-offenders in a classroom setting has provided role models for the offender population and increased the success rate of the GED program. Status reports on individual students are provided monthly to officers. Participants of the CSCD program earned 10 GED Certificates in FY ‘00

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