Levi Duran acknowledges the mistakes he has made and figures he might as well put the 7½ months he will spend behind bars to good use.
Duran, 51, is earning a GED while staying at the Denver County Jail on Smith Road.
“To have the Denver County Jail offer these programs, it makes it easier to get on with life,” Duran said. “I am leaving with a better view on life and getting back into society.”
A few months ago, the chance to earn a GED would not have been possible for Duran because of changes in how the tests were administered across the country. The Denver Sheriff Department stopped offering GED testing in 2014 after Pearson Vue, the company that manges the tests, required it to be taken online only.
Jails, including those along the Front Range, were not prepared to provide online testing because inmates are not allowed internet access. Computer labs had to be created and secured for a single purpose — online testing.
Inmates could take classes to prepare for the tests, but they were on their own when it came to signing up, paying and actually taking the tests once they were released, said Simon Crittle, a Denver sheriff spokesman.
“We’d like them to do the testing here,” Crittle said. “Once you get outside and life takes over you don’t get it done.”
Denver resumed testing in January after spending nearly $105,000 to build a computer lab and on other costs associated with testing. Since then, 11 inmates have earned diplomas.
The jails in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties also experienced gaps in offering GEDs to their inmates.
In Jefferson County, no testing was offered from January 2014 to September 2014, said Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman for the sheriff department. In Arapahoe County, testing returned in April 2015 after being unavailable for more than a year, said Julie Brooks, a sheriff department spokeswoman.
All three counties had to make modifications so inmates could take the tests but could not post on Facebook, watch music videos or chat with friends.
Officials also had to coordinate with Pearson Vue, which did not have experience dealing with inmates who are not allowed internet access.
In Jefferson County, the department used a special fund so it could offer free testing without burdening taxpayers, Techmeyer said.
And Arapahoe County found savings by finding volunteers to proctor tests, Brooks said.
Since testing was resumed in Arapahoe County, five inmates have earned a GED while 59 have taken at least one of the four tests.
And Jefferson County has awarded 161 GEDs to inmates, Techmeyer said.
To earn the diploma, people must pass four exams — language arts, social studies, science and math. At the Denver jail, inmates study for one portion and take the test. Once they pass, they move to the next phase.
Duran only lacks math. And he’s confident he will understand fractions, decimals, algebra and geometry well enough to finish the degree before he is released later this summer.
“I’m taking care of it the way I should,” he said. “I will bounce back.”
Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips @denverpost.com or @Noelle_Phillips
