Indianapolis, Indiana – For thousands of incarcerated Hoosiers, preparing to leave prison begins long before release day. It can start with learning to weld, working toward a high school equivalency diploma or earning a credential that could help open the door to a job.
A new 10-year agreement between the Indiana Department of Correction and Ivy Tech Community College will continue that work across 15 adult correctional facilities. The partnership already serves 6,500 incarcerated people, and annual program completions have more than doubled since 2021.
Gov. Mike Braun announced the renewed agreement as part of his administration’s effort to reduce employment barriers for people leaving the criminal justice system.
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After taking office in 2025, Braun directed the correction department to expand opportunities that help recently incarcerated people secure work.
“Strengthening reentry programs is a priority for my administration because what happens inside our correctional facilities has a direct impact on public safety,” Braun said.
“We have a responsibility to prepare people for life after prison and give them a real opportunity to succeed. Continuing this partnership with Ivy Tech is an important investment in that work.”
Under the partnership, 140 Ivy Tech Community College instructors provide educational services inside Indiana’s adult facilities. Career and technical programs include welding, culinary arts and cosmetology, along with other training that gives students opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications.
Basic adult education is also available for those working toward a high school equivalency diploma. That gives the partnership a role in both helping students complete foundational education and preparing them for specific kinds of employment.
Credit: Ivy Tech
Participation has grown substantially. Since 2021, enrollment in correctional education programs has increased by more than 3,000 students. Annual completions rose from 1,272 in 2021 to 2,833 in 2025, an increase of 1,561.
For Indiana Department of Correction Commissioner Lloyd Arnold, education is a central part of preparing people for the responsibilities they will face after incarceration. He said the department wants those serving time to use the opportunities available to them.
“Our responsibility is to give the people leaving our facilities the best possible chance,” Arnold said. “We don’t want them to be idle while serving time. We want them to take advantage of what’s available to them through partnerships like the one we have with Ivy Tech.”
The state points to workforce training before release as a proven way to ease the transition back into society and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. The renewed agreement extends a program built around giving people skills and credentials they can carry into that transition.
Ivy Tech President Marty Pollio described the partnership as a chance to connect education with a fresh start.
“Education has the power to change lives, and that opportunity should extend to individuals preparing for a second chance,” Pollio said. “Through this partnership, we are helping thousands of Hoosiers gain the skills, confidence and credentials they need to build meaningful careers and successfully reenter their communities.”
Ivy Tech’s Madison campus oversees the college’s correctional education programs. Chancellor Amanda Harsin said the next decade offers an opportunity to build on the growth already recorded, helping more students pursue employment, support their families and contribute to their communities.
At a recent graduation ceremony at Plainfield Correctional Facility, the meaning of that work came through in the words of Antoine Bird. A graduate who also helps fellow inmates as a peer tutor, Bird reflected on the distance between the person who entered prison and the person he has become.
“I am not the man today that I was when I walked in here 22 years ago,” he said.
