When Steven Owens went to jail, he was only three months fromgraduating from high school. Now, he’s got his GED and a collegescholarship waiting when he returns to freedom.

Dr. James Maskasky, Copiah-Lincoln Community College GEDinstructor, said Owens, 19, of Brookhaven, used to be like so manyother adults who did not have a high school education. That isuntil Thursday – when Maskasky came to the jail to award Owens hisGED certificate.

“This is a course where a person gets to the skill level heneeds to pass the GED,” Maskasky said. “We have some students whohave only needed 12 classroom hours, and some who have years tomake up.”

Owens, who is serving a sentence for armed robbery, said heenrolled in the program at the jail because he knew he would haveto have an educational foundation when he gets out in fiveyears.

His 524 GED score earned him a scholarship to Co-Lin when hegets out. Owens said he might like to enroll in the school’s automechanics program.

Owens also continues to study calculus with Maskasky, saying heenjoys the math and knows he’ll need the preparation for the realworld.

“It’ll help me on the ACT,” he said, adding that he spends a lotof his free time reading.

Co-Lin Director of Adult Education Jeff Posey, in an update tothe school’s board of trustees earlier this month, said one in fouradults in Mississippi lacks a high school education, and Co-Lin islooking to help fix those numbers in the area.

Basic Skills Specialist Carol Robinson said the Adult BasicEducation Program works to provide credentials to those who did notcomplete high school or who might need additional skills inacquiring the English language.

“We have a GED class in the jail in all seven counties weserve,” she said.

Maskasky, who teaches a GED class in the Lincoln County Jail andone at the library in Monticello, said he has taught adults of allages. He said his favorite success story involves a 69-year-old manwho had dropped out of school in third grade and was unable to readuntil he took the GED class.

“He came to bed late one night and his wife woke up and askedhim what time it was and where he’d been,” Maskasky said. “He said,’Well, it’s about 2 a.m., and I was reading.”

Victories like that are part of why Maskasky enjoys teachingadult education. Another reason is seeing people like Owens achievetheir goals.

“They have to make a commitment to themselves that they’ll workto get this done,” he said.

Sheriff Steve Rushing said the jail has been holding GED classesthrough the Co-Lin program for several years. He said the programis an important thing for some inmates.

“It helps them finish their education, but also it helps theones that want to work toward rehabilitation get on the road,” hesaid.

And Co-Lin offers other adult education classes in skillsattainment, English, vocational training and computer skills, someof which are free of charge.

One is a computer class that Maskasky also teaches. He said theclass outlines basic computer skills starting at how to turn thecomputer on to basic Internet, e-mail and word processingskills.

The learning labs in the parking lot next to the GovernmentComplex in Brookhaven have computer classes, Robinson said, butalso have Spanish classes. With each of those classes, employees ofChamber of Commerce member businesses can learn free, and otherspay only $2 an hour.

“So for $24, you can take a 12 hour Spanish class,” she said.”That’s pretty good.”

Co-Lin officials said anyone interested in adult educationclasses can call (601) 643-8655 for more information.