WCSO Educational Resource Center Serving to Further Inmate Learning

In 2019, there was a small room downstairs at the WCSO that was used for informal meetings, and storage. It wasn’t anything significant, at the time. Upon Sheriff Smith taking office, he learned of a great need for a computer lab and classroom for inmate programs. That room soon became much more than a storage area.
 
Sheriff Smith began to secure funding and equipment to build the new learning center in the jail. A grant was secured to purchase over 10 brand new workstations, a smart board, and forge relationships with local partners, like Bevill State, to offer in-house instruction to our inmates.
 
Now, 5 years later, hundreds of hours of coursework have been completed, and over 10 different programs meet in the educational resource center. You may ask yourself, “why would I care about a classroom with fancy name,” but we offer a simple response. It is opportunity. The things that there are not a lot of in jail are hope, and opportunity. By giving an inmate a chance to better themselves while on the inside, their chances of personal and professional success skyrocket on the outside.
 
We remain committed to bettering our communities and county, and this is another way that we can positively impact the people that need it the most.