RD168 - Annual Progress Report of the Department of Correctional Education on the Effect of the Aging Population on State Agencies


Executive Summary:
At the request of the Human Resource Director for the Department of Correctional Education (DCE), I was assigned as the agency’s contact as pursuant to HB 854 (2006 Session).

According to HB 110 (2006 Session), each agency shall report by October 1 of each year to the Governor and to the General Assembly its progress for addressing the impact of the aging of the population in at least five specific areas. Those areas are: 1) number of persons served; 2) agency services; 3) programs designed for seniors; 4) publications and websites for seniors; and 5) future programs for seniors.

Since DCE is an educational agency, the seniors we serve are the students that are 65 and over enrolled in our adult education schools located in the Department of Corrections’ correctional facilities.

Information was gathered to find out how many seniors were served in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. In order to be eligible for academic classes in our schools, an adult must have a reading level below that of the 8th grade. The information that was gathered showed that in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 at least 25% of the seniors who were eligible for educational services were served. Unfortunately because of the demand for educational services in our adult schools, all DCE students must be placed on a waiting list before being enrolled in academic and/or vocational classes.

DCE will begin to improve the delivery of service to students age 65 and over by implementing the following changes:

1. DCE will add an academic, vocational and transition program to the DCE School located at Deerfield Correctional Center which is specifically designed for geriatric and assisted living inmates and is slated to add 600 more beds by January 2007.

2. DCE will also improve resources in our DCE libraries by adding large print books and books on tape.

3. DCE will provide seniors with information to aide them in independent level.

4. DCE will also move toward offering therapeutic recreational programs for our seniors.