Implement Pioneering Programs

The GEO Group, Inc. has a long and proud tradition as both a pioneer and a manager of innovative programs for offender habilitation. In Texas, GEO developed the first In-Prison Therapeutic Community in the state. In Mississippi, we established the first private prison mental health facility. Working with community groups, we provide opportunities for inmates to give back to the community while learning new skills and proficiencies.
 
Independent studies have shown that effective prison programs not only assist offenders in improving their lives but also reduce recidivism and drive down the cost of incarceration. GEO provides a wide range of program opportunities from academic enhancement to personal development. Our certified instructors and professional staff take a genuine interest in their students as they assist them in becoming productive members of society.

Some of the programs we offer are listed below:

Academic
GEO understands that a great part of the rehabilitation process is to provide offenders with opportunities to learn. Adult Basic Education is a key element in nearly every facility GEO operates. Many offenders come from dysfunctional family backgrounds where their education was often interrupted or ignored. On arrival in our facilities, offenders undergo an educational assessment and are placed in appropriate academic classes. Our goal is to help them achieve academic success. Each day, more than 5,500 offenders are enrolled in academic courses ranging from basic literacy to college-accredited courses. GEO has issued more than 10,000 GED certificates over the past ten years.
   
Vocational
Offenders often have little work experience or vocational skills. In order to become productive citizens in society, offenders must learn good work habits and occupational skills while they are incarcerated. GEO provides numerous training opportunities through our vocational education program. Certified instructors assist offenders in learning computer skills, various trades, and small business instruction. Research clearly shows that offenders who find employment upon release are far less likely to recidivate. Woodworking, horticulture, culinary arts, and computer technology are among the many vocational opportunities available to offenders.
   
Life Skills
Studies show that offenders are not always equipped to handle the social challenges that are part of everyday life. Responsible thinking, family awareness and simple economics are often neglected competencies that are taken for granted by the average person. Consumer awareness, health issues, interpersonal skills, cognitive skills training, and job readiness are all part of our Life Skills program, which is geared to increase the offender's chances of success upon release.
   
Substance Abuse
Nearly half of all convictions are related to drug and alcohol abuse. With that in mind, GEO is committed to offering substance abuse educational programs that explain the harmful effects of substance abuse, both physically and socially. In addition to providing extended treatment programs through therapeutic communities, GEO offers a dynamic substance abuse education program with a broad spectrum of components. GEO uses both cognitive-based and 12-step programs.
   
Religious/Faith-based Programs
When an offender changes his values system, he changes his behavior. Religious programming is an important element in offender rehabilitation. Nearly all GEO facilities have full-time chaplains who supervise and coordinate the religious program to ensure that all faiths have adequate opportunity and representation. By developing a close relationship with the community, GEO is able to recruit and train a large number of religious volunteers to provide for the offenders' religious needs.

Additionally, GEO has expanded the religious program in two facilities to include a voluntary, faith-based, residential Bible college where offenders can earn a Bible degree through correspondence courses. We also work closely with the Kairos Ministry and other religious groups to provide expanded faith-based programs in other facilities.
   
Prison Industry Enhancement
Certification Program
Several GEO facilities provide in-house prison industry programs through government industries and the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP, sometimes referred to as the PIE Program), a federal program that assists offenders in developing work skills while earning a fair wage. Deductions are made from the offender's earnings to cover such costs as victim compensation, restitution, room and board, and taxes. Upon release, offenders are able to demonstrate a responsible work record and job capability. In Lockhart, Texas, GEO has collaborated with the Private Sector to create the largest employer model PIECP in the country.  Since 1995, when the Lockhart Secure Work Program Center opened in Lockhart, Texas, two companies have provided meaningful and productive employment for approximately 300 inmates each day.  The PIE programs at Lockhart have helped train inmates for successful reentry into their communities and, through wage deductions for Room and Board, taxes, family support, and victims programs have provided considerable savings to the State. For more information about the PIECP, click here.