Education Services
The Bureau of Education, Treatment and Reentry of the Idaho Department of Correction operates prison education programs in seven facilities across the state.
Our Vision
Offenders will be assessed for need and the offender plan will address indicated areas of concern. Those offenders who are identified as needing education will enter school, in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Offenders will progress through education in this order; Literacy or Secondary Education, Workforce Readiness, Workforce Skills, and On the Job Training. Offenders will be given the opportunity to practice their skills at the institutions through work projects and/or Correctional Industries and/or Correctional Work Centers. Offenders will be honored upon the completions of their goals through certificates and/or graduations. Offenders who still need educational services at reentry will be provided opportunities for education at the district level.
Our instructors are trained as correctional educators and enjoy working with incarcerated adults. As one teacher expressed, when asked about why she chose correctional education over public schools: “I thought I would come here to make a difference in someone’s life; the difference has been in mine.”
Adult Basic Education The Robert Janss School offers literacy courses that include basic literacy, computer literacy, refresher skills and English as a second language.
High School Education The Robert Janss School curricula include classes covering the 42 credits outlined by the State Board of Education for a high school diploma. Robert Janss School students may earn high school diplomas by taking classes taught by properly certified instructors.
Special Education Special Education services are available to eligible offenders, as identified through screening and evaluation, through the semester on their 21st birthday.
Robert Janss School provides special education services to students who qualify under the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) or the Children's Mental Health Services Act (CMHSA).
AmeriCorps Members
The Idaho Department of Correction hosts 12 AmeriCorps Members. The AmeriCorps members are located in District 1, District 3, District 4, District 5, and District 7.
The AmeriCorps members are funded under Title 1. The Idaho Department of Correction developed a program titled Student Opportunities Against Recidivism (SOAR). SOAR provides educational resources and outreach to youthful offenders, ages 16 to 21 years old on probation and parole.
SOAR instructors are certified teachers and AmeriCorps members that provide assistance to offenders who are studying to obtain a GED. The program also offers a basic finance course and workforce “soft” skills instruction.
Participation in SOAR is provided at no cost to offenders. Although most offenders are referred to this program by their probation/parole officer, offenders in need of a GED or who are interested in participating in any of the program offerings are welcome to contact SOAR staff directly.
Robert Janss School
Robert Janss School operates within the structure of the Idaho Department of Corrections. Education is integrated within offender treatment and work programs so that offenders are involved in positive inmate living and return to the community prepared to succeed within their families, jobs, and social environment.
The Robert Janss School is accredited through the Idaho Department of Education.
Correctional Education operates as the core of the Institution. The school provides an upbeat and positive environment. It is a place for offenders to go and learn and improve themselves without criticism or danger.
About Our Graduation Rate
Last year the Robert Janss School facilitated nearly 500 GED’s across the state as well as 10 high school diplomas.
Over 500 offenders in class at any given time, with 1266 certificates awarded for program completion.
The Robert Janss School provides correctional education services to offenders within the Idaho Department of Correction. We are a public school and a prison school. Our mission necessarily includes services to the public, which funds our programs; services to the Department of Correction, which operates the institutions in which we are located, and services to our students, who attend our classes.
We also recognize and accept our responsibility to contribute to the orderly and safe management of Idaho’s adult offenders. The Robert Janss School provides structure, programming, and staff supervision leading to safe management of incarcerated offenders.
We succeed when our students acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for successful, crime-free living in our communities. Our classes reflect our commitment to educational remediation and preparation for successful lives in the home, at the workplace, and in the community.
We believe that education makes necessary positive changes in our students’ behaviors, which enables them to live successful, crime-free lives. The educational services provide by the Robert Janss School benefit our individual students, our institutions, and ultimately our general society.
Print this page