Michigan Works! Southeast (MWSE) Adult Education Teacher Denise Thorpe also serves as lead teacher at the Hillsdale County Jail, helping inmates earn their GEDs. Many inmates, she says, have never been told they have any potential to do something with their lives.
"I tell them, 'I don't care why you're in here. That's your past. I'm here to work with you on your future,'" Thorpe says.
Helping inmates work toward a more positive future is the aim of two different programs from Ann Arbor-based MWSE, reaching inmates at the local jail in Hillsdale County and those in the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan. These programs help soon-to-be-released inmates gain GEDs and social-emotional skills that will help them succeed once they're released.
GEDs and "a lifeline"
MWSE Research and Education Manager Chad Gibbs says the idea for the Hillsdale County program was around before the COVID-19 pandemic but "fizzled" during the pandemic. Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire, in partnership with Hillsdale Public Schools and MWSE, finally
got it started in 2022.
"The seed from the sheriff is that he didn't want to see these folks again, and he wanted them to have a plan for when they got out of [jail]," Gibbs says.
Gibbs says MWSE was a natural partner with the Hillsdale County effort because of the close proximity between the two partners.
"We're a few hundred yards from each other," Gibbs says. "Denise can walk there."
Originally, Thorpe would work with any jail inmate, but sheriff's office staff decided that it only made sense to work with those who had been sentenced and knew, roughly, how long they'd be in the jail. Now, she usually works in the jail a few hours a day, four days a week.
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courtesy MWSEMWSE Adult Education Teacher Denise Thorpe and MWSE Adult Education Program Supervisor Janelle Spieth.
Janelle Spieth, MWSE adult education program supervisor, says the program also offers a high school diploma, but that involves re-taking courses. Many students prefer the GED, which can be accomplished faster. It consists of four tests in core areas.
Gibbs says it's "not a problem" to tailor courses to students' varying levels of educational attainment.
"Some can get through it easily in a month, and others are on a longer pathway," Gibbs says.
Inmates take a preliminary test to see what areas they need help with and if they might be ready to pass one of the four GED tests. Thorpe will work with them to improve math or other skills as needed.
Thorpe says the program has so far had one successful GED graduate and another inmate who finished three of four tests before release.
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courtesy MWSEInmates participating in MWSE's Hillsdale County Jail GED program.
The number of inmates studying for a GED at any given time varies, but Thorpe is currently working with six. She's experienced so much enthusiasm among women inmates that she's also started a book club for women only, focusing on reading, writing, and public speaking skills.
"Denise has a real knack for connecting with the folks," Gibbs says. "It's a big chance to make a difference in their lives when they really need it."
That connection continues after the inmates are released sometimes. Thorpe says several inmates sought her out because they wanted advice about resumes or other MWSE services they could benefit from.
"The first thing they did when they were released was come and see me. I was a lifeline for them," she says.
Gibbs says he hopes other former inmates will view Thorpe as a familiar face and MWSE as "a safety net" when they get out of jail.
Bringing your "A-game" to work
At Milan's Federal Correctional Institution, MWSE's recently launched workforce readiness program was spurred in part by the success of the work in Hillsdale County.
MWSE Deputy Director Misty Shulters says the program is for prisoners set to be released in the next nine to 12 months. The 10-week course focuses on social and emotional learning, understanding the job market, mock interviews, and other "soft skills."
Shulters says the curriculum focuses on seven essential skills that start with the letter "A": attitude, attendance, appearance, ambition, accountability, acceptance, and appreciation.
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courtesy MWSEFCI Milan GED staff (Front Row L to R) Jessie Culver, Misty Shulters, and Hector Arroyo (Back Row L to R) Brett Ward, Joe Williams, and Herb Fluker.
These inmates have been involved in the correctional system for much longer than those in the Hillsdale County program and often need help adapting to technological changes.
"On average, the length of incarceration is 11 years. So think about technology 11 years ago. It was flip phones and Blackberries, and it's all different now," Shulters says. These students may need help with things like using modern smartphones or online employment websites that weren't in existence when the inmate was sentenced.
Shulters says the program's first cohort finished in early spring and a second cohort is in the midst of the course right now. The first cohort had 19 participants, and then Shulters says "word got out," drawing 66 enrollees for the second session.
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courtesy MWSEInmates participating in MWSE's Hillsdale County Jail GED program.
At the same time the inmates are taking the course, MWSE's business services team is out in the community talking to employers, Shulters says. She says they're letting businesses know that "these individuals are going to be good employees because they have motivations others might not, with the biggest being they don't want to return to prison."
Sometimes people ask Shulters how MWSE determines which team members will go inside the correctional facility to deliver services. Shulters says that five MWSE employees volunteered to be part of the program.
"These volunteers told me time and again how really invigorating it is to work with this population," she says. "They ask a lot of great questions, and they want to learn. It's refreshing."
Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.