This is the story of a female inmate who was incarcerated in our Seattle jail in March 2015.  

She had previously started community college at Seattle Central College (SCC) but dropped out of her classes because she became incarcerated. Dropping out left her with a bill of over $400 that prevented her from reenrolling until paid. She enrolled in the women’s GED course at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) where she was connected with the SCC’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (IBEST) program. This is a college level certification program with extra support for basic skills from Seattle Education Access (SEA) who provide financial support and case management to low income students. After a few weeks of collaboration by her attorney, SEA representative, IBEST representative, and the KCCF GED teacher, they were able to help her cause by getting her a place in work release and reenrolled at SCC. SEA also donated $200 toward her bill and IBEST program staff helped her work with her extended family to responsibly pay back the money she owed to the college. She continues to attend school and is hoping to one day transfer to the University of Washington. She was released in July 2015 and has not recidivated to this date.

Inmates from all different backgrounds are able to participate in the program to further their education and success.

This is just one of the many success stories that are due to the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s work to provide GED classes and testing through jail programming.

Since the program’s start at the King County Correctional Facility in 1998, more than 5,400 people have taken the GED test and more than 4,800 have passed; many also achieving their GED.

In 2013, DAJD learned that Washington State would make GED testing an online test instead of the paper and pencil test used for years. This raised many questions about the challenges they would be facing if they continued to offer GED courses and tests to the inmate students. How would they bring computers and internet-based testing into the secure perimeter of the jails? What kind of security would it require?

To do so, DAJD relied on some one-time funding through a King County Council proviso.  The funding allowed DAJD to bring in a set of 12 laptops on a cart at each facility and other hardware, software and educational tools. The cart would act as a power hub for the laptops as many of the rooms where the inmates were tested are concrete rooms without power sources.

Early test results were discouraging. The computerized test appeared to be more difficult, not only in content, but because not everyone had the computer literacy to successfully maneuver through the test.  DAJD’s contracted teachers found themselves feeling discouraged as they watched the passing rates decrease.

“The teachers had to change the way they taught,” Steve Larsen, Chief of Administration for DAJD said. “Instead of simply teaching the material that would be on the GED test, they had to teach inmates computer and keyboard skills as well as specific content in social studies and science that the previous test did not require.”

Once inmate students became comfortable using computers, the passing rate began to go up. Larsen said they see a lot of pride in the inmates who pass and are able to comfortably use the technology. It makes them feel accomplished and hopeful when they leave because they have a GED and computer skills, he said.

“A lot of the inmates haven’t had a lot of breaks,” Larsen said. “They haven’t had a community to care or to help them out.  Our GED teachers are very good at what they do, and they also care deeply about the success of their students.”

Earning their academic degree and attaining the skills to successfully move on after incarceration ends is a point of pride for many inmates.

Not only do the teachers teach necessary skills for the computerized GED, but they also help students with necessary life skills. The teachers emphasize the importance of building relationships and making connections with other students, Larsen said.  They also connect the students to their community colleges, making it easier for individuals to continue their education and not slip back into incarceration once released from jail, he added.

And at the end of the course, if the inmate is still incarcerated when they pass the GED test, DAJD holds a graduation ceremony where they present the inmates with their certificates and bring inmates currently in the program in to watch.  Pictures of graduates in graduation robes with their certificates are mailed to the student inmates’ families for continued recognition of the effort put forth to achieve such an important milestone.

“Seeing inmates proud of their accomplishments, and talking about their journey” Larsen said, “makes the other inmates want to continue working so that they can achieve that too.”

The headline translates easily from Spanish to English: Guide to Noxious and Invasive Weeds 

The household names for those weeds, however, do not always translate so easily – and this can present a barrier for our small business community. Professional landscapers and their clients in the area now have a great tool to address that potential barrier, courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNR).

Image courtesy of Casa Latina

Embracing two of the County’s ‘best-run government’ guiding principles, DNRP upped the ante on Civic Engagement and Service Excellence in April and co-hosted a workshop with Casa Latina. After cultivating relationships with residents and small business owners, and listening to and understanding their needs, DNRP aligned its services and resources with those needs and published Guía de malas hierbas nocivas e invasoras, the first comprehensive guide of its type in the Northwest. The translation was accomplished with the assistance of Gonzalo Yepes, owner of Columbian Gardens, and IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Commission), a Portland, Oregon charity.

“In addition to simply having a job that allows me to provide great service, one of the most rewarding parts of this effort was having such a successful workshop,” Eric Walker, noxious weed specialist with DNRP, said.

Casa Latina hosts monthly landscaping classes. Through collaboration, DNRP and Casa Latina conducted outreach to get the word out that the workshop would be held during scheduled class times in April. Also, two small business owners participated in the workshop by teaching two of the three modules. Gonzalo Yepes, LIC, presented “Plantas nativas del Oeste de Washington” (Native Plants of Western Washington), and Victor Ceron Zane of VC Organic Garden Care presented, “Plantas Ornamentales del Oeste de Washington” (Ornamental Plants of Western Washington). DNRP and the community also collaborated with one of our sister counties. The third module, “Malezas nocivas e invasoras del Oeste de Washington” (Noxious and Invasive Weeds of Western Washington), was presented by Angelica Velazquez, Cowlitz County noxious weed program coordinator. In addition to discussions and PowerPoint presentations, the workshop included physical samples of specimens.

“Having actual samples of noxious weeds on hand added a lot of depth and reinforcement to the learning experience,” Eric said.

DNRP learned a lot during the effort, as well. According to Eric, some of the lessons learned include engaging with your audience where they are, dedicating enough time to engage most effectively, taking and acting on feedback from your customers, and including everyone in the creative implementation of solutions. Some of the plans moving forward include leveraging technology to scale efforts throughout the County.

“Combining census data with what we know about where weed infestations occur, we can do spatial analysis to not only target our own physical efforts, but to prioritize the implementation and focus of solutions like the Spanish guide in any of our diverse communities,” Eric said. In addition to holding more Spanish workshops in the future, Eric said that the data suggests DNRP’s next initiative may focus on the needs of our Vietnamese-speaking community.

Visit DNRP’s noxious weeds website for more information on the County’s program. You may report a noxious weed infestation either online, by email, or by calling (206) 477-WEED (9333).