Common Good Atlanta
Common Good Atlanta provides people who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated with broad, democratic access to higher education so they can develop a better understanding of both themselves and the social forces at work around them. CGA believes that:
- Access to higher education strengthens the common good of communities.
- The intellectual, social, and psychological resources of Georgia’s colleges and universities can make a profound difference in Georgia’s prisons.
- Communities are weakened when access to higher education is restricted on the basis of privilege, background, class, race, religion, age sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or history of incarceration.
- Higher education can restore human dignity, helping enable incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to assert themselves as positive influences on society.
- Ongoing connection with Common Good helps to support and fortify formerly incarcerated people as they re-enter free society as citizens and neighbors.
- Common Good Atlanta benefits significantly when formerly incarcerated people help lead the organization, deliver its programs and advocate on behalf of its mission
Find more information on Common Good Atlanta here.
Inside Out
The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program is a course that brings together campus-based college students and incarcerated students. Typically, the course is comprised of 15 “inside” (incarcerated) students and 15 “outside” (non-incarcerated) students and meets in a correctional setting. Inside-Out at UGA (SOCI 4470S) is an opportunity for a small group of students from UGA and a group of residents at the Clarke County Jail to exchange ideas and perceptions about crime and justice, the criminal justice system, and imprisonment. It is a chance for all participants to gain a deeper sociological understanding of the criminal justice system by engaging in conversation about theories, academic research, and practical experience.
Through facilitated dialogue and active learning, the program creates a powerful and transformative learning environment for all participants. All students, whether “inside” or “outside” read the same texts, complete the same assignments, and participate with equal status in the classroom.
This “experiential learning” opportunity follows the pedagogy of the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program, an international educational model that “increases opportunities for men and women, inside and outside of prison, to have transformative learning experiences that emphasize collaboration and dialogue, inviting participants to take leadership in addressing crime, justice, and other issues of social concern.”
You can find more information about the Inside Out program at UGA here.
Athens Prison Tutorial
The Athens Prison Tutorial is a UGA student-led organization that provides tutoring to incarcerated individuals in the greater Athens community, including GED materials, standardized test prep, and supplementary education. Formerly incarcerated individuals often lack the resources to pursue education and face stigma when trying to obtain it, creating cascading negative outcomes in the job market and beyond. Lower levels of higher education are also closely linked to higher recidivism rates, lower employment rates, and lower earning potential. When incarcerated individuals re-enter society, they do not receive proper resources to assimilate, and lack of education is one the greatest inhibitors to upward mobility. In light of this, APT’s mission is to serve as a stepping stone for incarcerated individuals through educational support.
You can find more information about Athens Prison Tutorial here.
Georgia Prison Beekeeping Program
The Georgia Prison Beekeeping Program provides participants the opportunity to increase their knowledge about all things dealing with bees and beekeeping. UGA’s prison beekeeping programs started in 2015 and continues to provide education and testing at eight prisons.
In 2015, the Georgia Beekeepers Association and the University of Georgia Honey Bee Lab (now UGA Bee Program) joined forces to form the Georgia Prison Beekeeping Program. It first began at Smith State, a maximum-security prison, where the first class of 15 students was certified through the Georgia Master Beekeeping Program. Since then, the program has expanded into eight prisons with well over 100 participating and certified inmates.
If you would like to know more about how the Georgia Prison Beekeeping Program began, explore: History: The Beginning