Education is an important part of our lives, including prison life. However, education in prison is not as good as education in general—requiring trained human resources to educate inmates and also facing high costs in providing prison’s education program. It costs approximately $4,000 – $1,744 per year to educate an inmate, as the RAND Corporation reported.
Due to the pricey cost of educating inmates but its profitability for the country and the individual himself all at once, the JPay tablet likely comes in to help all the parties achieve the goal, making it happen. The presence of this technological tablet is in an effort to provide skilled education so that at least an inmate has certain skills after being released from prison.
So, what is the educational program applied to the JPay tablet? And what are the kinds of education programs available on the JPay tablet? Here’s everything you need to know!
What is the JPay Education Program?
JPay proudly announced a tablet-based education program called “JPay’s Lantern,” created by Securus Technologies. Working with its partners, such as Ashland University, this program is specifically designed to help inmates access digital educational programs easily, allowing them to be ready when they are reentering society.
JPay’s Lantern, basically, provides education, entertainment, self-help, and communication resources. Following their release, inmates will be able to learn valuable job skills, improve their lives, and contribute to their communities.
Developed in conjunction with the Correctional Education Association (CEA), JPay’s Lantern uses a Learning Management System (LMS) to post facility-approved content where inmates can download it to learn. In addition to course contents, inmates can also download assignments, grades, quizzes, and instructor notes.
What Are the Kinds of Educational Programs Available on JPay?
There are dozens of educational resources, including learning videos, eBooks, and various programs, that inmates can access on the JPay tablet. These may cover a range of subjects, from basic literacy and numeracy to college courses, vocational training, and even graduate-level programs.
Following the implementation of JPay’s Lantern, JPay also offers free access to Khan Academy educational videos through the Foundation for Learning Equality’s KA Lite program, allowing inmates free access to the materials without an internet connection. Well, this program is very helpful for incarcerated individuals who do not have internet access.
KA Lite programs provide various subjects, including science, math, computers, arts, language, and many more. The inmates can easily download the videos from the JPay kiosks to their JPay tablets. The KA Lite contents are organized into different subject areas and can be accessed by users with different skill levels. This program also allows inmates to track their progress and receive feedback on their performance.
When it comes to specific educational programs on the JPay tablet, we can first say that the educational materials may vary depending on the correctional facilities, due to a variety of factors. Thus, we’ll show you some of the educational programs that may be available on JPay tablets. Here they are:
- High School Equivalency (HSE) programs. These kinds of educational programs allow inmates to be prepared in an attempt to earn their high school equivalency diploma (GED or HiSET). These can really help them qualify for employment upon completion of their further education.
- Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses. These kinds of courses provide basic literacy and numeracy skills that are designed to help inmates improve their abilities in math, reading, and writing.
- College courses. Some college-level courses can also be accessed on JPay tablets. These courses are usually available through partnerships with local community universities and colleges.
- Vocational training. Vocational training programs in certain fields, such as automotive repair, construction, culinary arts, and so on, are typically available on correctional facility programs; they may also be available on JPay. These aim to help inmates obtain valuable skills that they can use to re enter society after release.
- Specialized programs. Some specialized programs such as financial literacy, entrepreneurship, or parenting skills may also be available on the JPay tablet for inmates to access.
- Educational Games. The JPay tablet seems to make learning more fun with the help of games. In addition to reading educational materials, inmates can also test their skills with Math Fun, Math Workout, Math Quizzes, and many more.
Okay, these are some specific educational programs that may be available on the JPay tablet.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
She is incarcerated in Arkansas Benton county jail
Can jpay help me talk to her