DELAWARE - Dozens of incarcerated students were awarded high school diplomas during commencement ceremonies held Thursday, June 25. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution (BWCI) in New Castle and Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI) in Georgetown awarded diplomas to 27 students.
These graduates are part of the 42 total incarcerated students, from age 18 to 64, who have earned Groves Adult High School diplomas during the past academic year. This includes students from each of Delaware's four state prisons.
A Groves Adult High School diploma represents a years-long course of academic studies by accumulating credits, like students would in a traditional high school setting. (Sussex Correctional Institution)
“I want you to know that I believe in you because, in my life, the people I respect and admire most are those who have set a goal and achieved it, especially those who have faced unimaginable and unintended challenges and overcome them,” said Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten during the BWCI commencement ceremony. “You have experienced things that so many people have never experienced, and you met the challenge. What I know about you is that you are able to see beyond your current circumstances and believe something into being. You set this goal, you claimed it, you worked for it, and you made it happen. We are very proud of you.”
The Delaware Department of Corrections said a Groves Adult High School diploma is only one of the options incarcerated students have in the Delaware prison system. It represents a years-long course of academic studies by completing required classes and accumulating credits, like students would in a traditional high school setting.
Students can also set a goal to earn a GED, which is a nationally recognized high school equivalency certification. This demonstrated basic state eligibility requirements in math, science, language arts and social studies.
Delaware’s prison education program is run by the Delaware Department of Education. More than 30 Delaware DOE teachers and support staff are assigned to Delaware prison facilities to provide instruction statewide.
