PrintEd Provides Hope For Jailhouse Printers --Michelson

JOHN PHILLIPS may never enjoy freedom again. As an inmate at the Northern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility in Moundsville, WV, the 41-year-old is serving a long sentence that may very well keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. But that hasn’t stopped him, and about 40 fellow inmates, from participating in the prison’s PrintED-accredited graphic communications training program run by the West Virginia Department of Education. The program includes men from age 18 to some in their 60s and 70s. What makes Phillips noteworthy, however, is the fact that he’s the first prison inmate in the country to be awarded PrintEd certification after recently passing the examination in offset press operations and, subsequently, the introduction to the graphic communications test. One major hurdle to overcome was getting the warden to allow Phillips to take the online standardized exam, since all prisoners are denied any Internet access. The warden eventually relented, though, providing that the online test—and Phillips’ Internet usage—was proctored under the strict supervision of Jeanette Donohew, lead teacher at the prison. A few other inmates at the correctional facility have since taken PrintEd exams. Certification achieved in this manner also places the examinee on a national registry for future job prospects.