Texarkana College announces expansion of prison education | Community

TEXARKANA, Texas – Texarkana College announced the expansion of its educational program at the Barry B. Telford Federal Correctional Institute.

TC offers welding courses to its first group of nine federal prisoners working toward their one-year welding certification.

According to the Department of Education, pursuing post-secondary education reduces the risk of inmates returning to prison by 28 percent.

“TC is one of the first community colleges in the country to seek PEP accreditation to offer Pell Grant funds for courses. It has been a lengthy and painstaking process,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Dixon Boyles.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons' regulations for providing services to incarcerated students differ significantly from those at the state level.

The Telford Unit in Texarkana aims to provide welding and electrical engineering training that can lead to professional certification or an associate's degree.