Morgan County Jail Inmates Earn GEDs

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – The first class of inmates in the Morgan County Detention Facility GED Program have high hopes for their futures and say the program is giving them a second chance in life.

Thirteen inmates graduated from the Calhoun Community College Adult Education Program on Wednesday. The students studied from their jail cells with help from volunteers and local faith-based organizations.

“It’s a new beginning that I intend to take seriously,” said Wendy Word. 

Word is a 31-year-old mother, but also a convicted criminal.

“I have been waiting a long time to finish that now I can move forward and prove to my kids ‘you can do it’,” Word said.

This is a rare program for a county jail setting.  It is traditionally reserved for state prisons. The jail warden, Leon Bradley, says it is a real chance to change lives and end the vicious circle of recidivism.

“What we have done traditionally in the past has not worked,” said Bradley.  “So if we can break the cycle and get people back into the community they are in a better position.”

For Word, the future looks bright.  She is even tutoring other inmates who are just starting the program.

“If you think you can’t do it, you are wrong,” said Word.  “I am living proof.”