Sinte Gleska University Celebrates First GED Graduate Out of Adult Corrections Facility Partnership

In early 2023, after a hiatus brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Sinte Gleska University (SGU) resumed its GED programming partnership with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Facility (RST ACF). The American Indian College Fund has provided grant support to this work since early 2024, to extend high school equivalency (HSE) programming to detention center and reentry efforts. The program partnership operates through the initiative of SGU tutor, Bernice Whiting, who visits the RST ACF site two to three times a week to support students in preparing for their GED exams. Thus far, 14 students have been supported by the HSE corrections program administered by SGU, approximately eight of which continue to be active in their studies.

In March 2025, the program celebrated its first GED graduate, Ryan Barnett, a 24-year-old woman from Wolf Point, Montana, who had been transferred from Fort Peck Adult Corrections to RST ACF in Mission, South Dakota, to serve an eight-month sentence.

Ryan wrote a reflection of her time as a corrections GED student. “I arrived here in the beginning of July and heard about the GED program from Officer LaPointe (the facility’s Program Specialist). I thought about how long I was going to be here and what I could accomplish if I were to graduate with my GED,” she shared. “I don’t have my high school diploma. I had a really great opportunity to get my GED and the time to do it with no distractions.”

“My experience with the GED program was great. I would recommend taking the GED to other inmates that don’t have a high school diploma or GED,” Ryan reflected. GED Students at the facility receive tutoring and take practice tests during Bernice’s regular visits to assess when they are ready to take the official GED tests in the four subjects of Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. When the students are assessed as ready, they are transported to SGU’s testing site in Mission, South Dakota, to take their official exams. Ryan shared, “I personally didn’t think taking the practice tests was hard at all. I had a little bit harder time with the official tests. I’m not sure if it was because I was going out of the jail to a different setting that made me nervous or what.”

Ryan did, however, have one suggestion for improving the facility’s GED program. She shared, “Something to improve this program in my opinion would be to try to get a student in to take an official test as soon as possible after they pass the practice test, so their mind is kind of on the subject still and not all mixed between all four subjects.” She explained that the time in which it takes between passing a practice test, being deemed ready for the subject’s official exam, and when she was actually able to test posed a delay in attaining her GED. One reason for such delays is that RST ACF does not have enough guards available to transport the GED students to SGU’s Mission site for testing. “That probably might have been my problem,” Ryan said, reflecting on her experience in passing all four official exams to obtain her GED. “I passed all four of my practice tests back in September of 2024. By the time I passed three subjects (in the official exams), five months had gone by. I had to refresh my brain on social studies because the score I got the second time taking the test was way lower than it was the first time I took it, so Bernice had me study more and take it again.” She emphasized, “I feel like if students were to take a practice test, then take the official test (soon after), they’d feel a lot more confident.”

When the facility administrator, Melissa Eagle Bear, spoke with Ryan about her written reflection on her experience in the program, she was inspired to advocate for the students and said the facility would try to better prioritize transporting GED students to the SGU site to take their official tests sooner. Ryan’s success and Melissa’s advocacy will hopefully lead to more GED graduates out of the program.

Ryan was transferred back to Montana in March for release and reentry into her community. She is already making plans for her future. She said, “My personal goals after I leave RST ACF are to get a job, hopefully a decent one, then hopefully I will be able to enroll into some college classes to further my education. Just to be doing something smart to keep me busy, better myself, and shape myself into the kind of person I really want to be.” She reflected on how grateful she was to be able to make something positive out of a less than ideal situation and take the first steps to turning her life around: “I’m actually happy I came to jail. My mindset has changed, and I want a lot more out of life for myself now. I have Sinte Gleska University to thank for this amazing opportunity. Thank you to Bernice for coming out to the jail, so that I could get this done; it’s because of you and the University I had this amazing opportunity that I am thankful for.”