Last Chance U: Local teacher extends hand to jailed kids ‘no one wanted’

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Picture of a teacher going to class in a Florida jail.
Adam George teaches kids charged as adults in Putnam County. (Putnam County Sheriff's Office)

There are no cheerleaders on teacher Adam George’s campus. No festooned hallways, no uplifting mantras, no spirit days.

Just barbed wire, fluorescent lights and broken kids.

With lesson plans in hand, he passes through a metal detector at the Putnam County jail to meet his nine students — all juveniles charged as adults for serious crimes.

They are housed in a separate unit inside the facility, away from their incarcerated elders.

Ineligible for the adult work programs, they are confined to their dorm area 24 hours a day.

Teacher and student in a jail classroom
George’s students spend 24 hours a day in a sequestered dorm at the adult facility. (PCSO)

In January, the Putnam County Sheriff’s office hired George to coordinate an educational program that would remind them that despite their circumstances and despite their crimes, someone still gave a damn.

“I was always drawn to work with students no one wanted,” George said in a PCSO Facebook post.

That instinct originated within his own family. He saw firsthand that a lack of basic education wrought hardship and heartbreak on people he held dear.

“I saw family members who struggled due to lack of education and I didn’t want to walk the same path,” he said.

A student with a laptop in a jail classroom
A student in one of George’s classes. (PCSO)

Without delay, George enrolled his nine-person flock into virtual programs that would help them ultimately obtain a high school diploma.

Last week was their first day of school. No Instagram hashtags or Taylor Swift blaring from school loudspeakers. Just laptops on steel circular tables, a few yellow notepads, and some words of encouragement.

“This gives them a goal and honestly something for them to do that is productive,” Major of Corrections Clayton Silva said. “They’re losing time they won’t be able to get back by sitting here, so at least they can work on their education requirements and they won’t be further behind in life.”

George calculated all available credits for each kid and formulated their plans of coursework. The goal, he said, is to have them advance towards a diploma while waiting for their cases to play out.

Picture of a teacher teaching class in a jail.
George creates individual lesson plans for each child. (PCSO)

A certified teacher, George is qualified to administer concluding exams in coordination with the Putnam County School District, and is working with virtual school coordinator Mary Wood to ensure that they stay on track.

Aware that interpersonal skills will impact their future as much as any diploma, he is also introducing them to the nuances of job interviews and coworker interactions.

With many of the defendants having grown up in domestic rubble, they are notions as alien as astrophysics.

Agricultural Sciences and welding instructional programs are also in development.

But George’s primary task is a simple one — to convince his pupils that they’re still allowed to close their eyes and dream of something different.

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2 Responses

  1. This was beautifully writtern. Brought a tear to my eye. There are good people in this world.

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