BUNNELL, FL – Dimond Bass, an inmate at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, has become the first female in the jail’s history to successfully complete the General Education Development (GED) program offered in conjunction with Flagler Technical College! The accomplishment was celebrated in a ceremony today at the jail. In addition to completion of the GED program, Dimond is set to graduate from the Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment (SMART) program on September 1 in preparation for her release later in September.
“We are incredibly proud of Ms. Bass, and we hope this opportunity will help her to succeed upon her release,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Education is a powerful tool, and we believe that providing inmates with opportunities to improve their education can help them turn their lives around and become productive citizens. We greatly appreciate our partnership with Flagler Technical College and thank the GED instructors who volunteer their time to make these opportunities possible.”
The GED program provides inmates with the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency diploma while incarcerated. The program is designed to give inmates the skills they need to be successful upon their release and to reduce recidivism rates. Dimond joins Easton Perez who was the first male to complete the GED program in May 2023. Perez was recently released from the SPHIDF on August 9, 2023, and is doing well reintegrating into the community.
The GED program is part of the jail’s Homeward Bound Initiative. Implemented by Sheriff Staly in 2022, the initiative offers several vocational training certificate courses through Flagler Technical College and issued by the Florida Department of Education. The Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility was recently awarded the Innovation Award for medium-sized jails across the United States by the American Jail Association.
“Since I have been Sheriff, our goal in the jail has been to provide inmates with an opportunity and the skills they need to become productive citizens instead of committing another crime and returning to the Green Roof Inn,” added Sheriff Staly.
