SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — Inside the confines of Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI), education serves as an opportunity for transformation, offering inmates the tools necessary to rebuild their lives beyond the prison walls, with courses such as financial literacy.
- Financial literacy courses are offered to equip inmates with essential skills to navigate personal finance and prepare for reentry into society.
- The goal is to set inmates up for success upon their release so that they can avoid ending up back in prison.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Behind these walls, a transformation is underway. Inside the Idaho State Correctional Institution, education isn't just a tool for rehabilitation; it's a lifeline for those seeking a second chance.
"We've seen research, and there's research going back clear to the 30's where people were studying education and recidivism. The higher the education level is, the more likely you're going to be successful and not come back,” says Vance Smith, the lead for the educational department at ISCI.
Education is breaking the cycle of failure that often leads individuals into the prison system.
Jack, a finance teacher, mentioned, "There is a statistic that the California Department of Correction indicates that 70% of them have had financial issues if not financial crime," says Jack Dujanovic, a teacher of Financial Literacy at ISCI.
ISCI offers financial literacy courses as the cornerstone of the program, with classes aimed at equipping inmates with the skills to navigate the complexities of personal finance.
"We tell them, as you practice here, so shall you play on the outside. So, we're preparing them for their reentry," says Dujanovic.
These classes aren't just about numbers; they're about rebuilding lives. Twenty-seven-year-old inmate Nick Haight is taking advantage of that opportunity.
“They have classes to plan your finances and plan for retirement, things you don’t really think about while you’re in here,” says Haight.
From basic life skills to advanced investing, the curriculum caters to a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences.
"In the next 5 to 10 years, we're going to try really hard to bring more normalcy, for lack of a better terminology, into our correctional world,” says Smith.
The goal? To foster success both inside and outside these walls.
"Get started now, so that you'll have more funds at the end of the road." says Dujanovic.
