COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new coding program has made its way to South Carolina women's prisons. The goal is to break barriers for those formerly incarcerated trying to enter the workforce.
South Carolina is the third state to join a computer programming and coding initiative within prisons across the U.S.
It was prompted by a non-profit called Persevere, a group aimed at helping incarcerated people re-enter the workforce after their release.
"It's long, it's arduous, it requires a lot of grit and commitment and so what we do initially is that the Department of Corrections comes up with a list of eligible people," said Julie Landers, program manager of eastern states.
Landers oversees programming in South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.
Here in the Palmetto State, this year-long coursework is offered for free at Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia. Candidates are also pulled from the Leath Correctional Institution. Persevere tells News 19 a second group of 17 students will graduate in October 2023.
Candidates are selected by the State Department of Corrections and can't be charged with particularly violent or sex crimes.
"In this case it's women, at the two women's prisons. There's Camille Graham and then there's Leath in Greenwood. And when we look at eligibility, we're looking for a sentence that will end about 12-24 months from the start of class. We don't want them languishing in their skills too long," Landers said.
Landers explains that nine students graduated last July, which is a small number, but it was because of COVID complications.
She adds, candidates need to apply, pass a basic skills test and have a high school diploma or GED. Then they're interviewed and selected. There's a waiting list, too.
"We chose coding because the industry is desperate for junior developers and for developers to be cycling in. The IT industry is booming and it's constantly changing and constantly needing new people in the workforce," Landers said.
Landers explains this niche group is often very grateful for the opportunity and want a fair chance at a job.
"We thought, what better match than to take folks who typically or traditionally have very difficult time getting into any industry with an industry that desperately needs workforce," Landers said.
The non-profit, Persevere explains it was recently able to apply for two federal grants in South Carolina. This September they'll learn if they got it. If they get at least one grant, they hope to expand the program to men's prisons across the state.