Florence, South Carolina – Inside the Florence County Detention Center last week, a place usually defined by rules and routine paused for something different: a graduation.
The ceremony was the first of its kind at the facility, marking a historic step for local corrections and for the inmates who earned the chance to walk in caps and gowns. The milestone grew from a partnership between the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and Florence One Schools Adult Education program, which opened a new GED testing center inside the detention center in March.
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For years, Florence One Adult Education had offered career-readiness classes at the facility. Inmates could work toward a certificate, but those ready to pursue a GED faced a barrier: they had to wait until release or transfer to a state facility before taking the test. That changed when the new on-site center became fully operational.
“Higher wages, reduced recidivism, and improved family literacy rates are all potential positive outcomes for our students at the detention center. It’s a win-win-win for everyone to finally have the testing center fully operational. The graduation ceremony is the cherry on top,” said Dr. Lisa Justice, Director of Florence One Adult Education.
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The road to that moment was not quick. Since 2023, Captain Lynnette Patton and detention center staff have worked with adult education teachers and Dr. Justice to build GED-prep classes for inmates. The larger goal was always clear: give participants the chance to earn a high school equivalency diploma while still housed at the facility.
“We’ve been working on this for so long,” Patton said. “Listening to the graduates today makes it all worth it.”
Approval for a GED testing center in a restricted location required several steps, including technology upgrades and proctor training. Dr. Justice said the process appeared close to delay again during the school year, but once everything came together, two graduates completed the full test within weeks.
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GED candidates are tested in Math, Science, Social Studies, and Reasoning through Language Arts. To qualify, participants must show high-school-level reading and math skills through prior testing and class performance.
The first graduating class included five inmates, each with a role in the ceremony. One graduate, identified as KF, became the first inmate to take and pass all four subjects. He called the achievement “the next step to something greater.”
Another graduate, KR, said he was excited about his future and “all of the opportunities coming my way.”
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Adult education teacher Vickie Scipio said the program gives students hope and a new beginning, even in a difficult setting.
Florence One Adult Education plans to expand the program next school year with more GED-prep sections and more graduates. For Dr. Justice, the impact goes beyond one ceremony. It reaches families, futures and the possibility of a different chapter.
