The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) is at the forefront of the growing number of states who put action behind the belief that the main goal of incarceration is rehabilitation. Studies show that incarcerated individuals who participate in correctional education programs have a 43% reduced likelihood of recidivating compared to those who do not.
The challenges for correctional facilities lie in not only what to educate students about, but how to do it. Security concerns are paramount and, in the past, have contributed to limited technology resources in these training programs. The latest technological advances for education involve collaboration; that’s not an option inside a correctional facility in the same way it is outside of one.
Meanwhile, if an individual serves a lengthy sentence without any technology access, the rapid pace of tech advancement still progresses, contributing to the extreme difficulty of reintegration into society upon release.
Rethinking Google Workspace for correction education
Resultant pioneered a pilot program in another state that developed an implementation of Google Workspace to make all its benefits and functionalities available while removing unauthorized communication or access concerns.
ODRC embraced this idea and worked with Resultant on a solution that uses Chromebooks as the vehicle for a secure, web-based classroom instead of outdated textbooks, a computer lab, and limited in-person instructor access.
More flexibility for teachers; greater resources for students
Instructors have much greater flexibility with this solution to tailor their lesson plans to what each individual group needs. They’re not limited by physical location or outdated textbooks, and students have the additional benefit of using current technology—an important success factor that most people outside a correctional facility take for granted.
With Chromebooks and GWS, ODRC teachers can customize content and utilize innovative virtual activities to deeply engage learners and increase participation and curricula retainment.
ODRC is better preparing its students to rejoin their communities by offering resources from computer skill training to degree and certification programs.
Read more about the project here
