A pilot program administered in part by Lewis-Clark State College to help incarcerated individuals at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino earn college credits and degrees held its first day of classes yesterday (Tue).
The program, which is under the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Experiment, helps incarcerated individuals have greater access to higher education. The individuals can either be starting or continuing their higher education journey and can earn a credential, certificate or a college degree, which will help them gain employment upon their release.
ICIO is serving as the pilot facility to conduct face-to-face classes delivered by LC State faculty and staff. Approximately 25 Orofino inmates took part in the first classes along with four LC State faculty members. The classes and instructors include Math 123 by professor Ken Wareham, Business 101 by instructor John Kirschman, Political Science 101 by professor Leif Hoffmann, and English 101 by instructor Lisa Goodrich.
Lewis-Clark State was among 73 colleges and universities invited to participate in the third round of the Second Chance Pell Experiment, an initiative first launched in 2015 to expand access to Federal Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals to allow them to take part in postsecondary education programs. LC State and the University of Idaho are collaboratively administering the project with the Orofino prison, with U of I’s portion of the program strictly online.
