Rodney Brown was 24 years into his 28-year sentence, when he was introduced to Orijin — an encounter which would serve as a pivotal moment in his life. Up until that point, he had never been exposed to any sort of educational programming or job training other than basic GED prep. 

Like too many of the 2 million incarcerated people in the U.S. today, systemic challenges, including staffing shortages, and lack of space, prevented him from accessing programming to prepare him for sustainable employment upon release. Today, only 17% of justice-impacted individuals in the nation have access to programming, and approximately 41% of incarcerated individuals do not hold a high school diploma, compared with 18% of the general population. 

It took Brown 10 years to obtain his GED while incarcerated. When he heard about Orijin’s tablets and learning platform, which empower justice-impacted individuals with customized learning, and industry-aligned skills development, Brown was serving as a GED mentor and tutor in his unit. With three children, and a wife at home, he saw Orijin as the perfect solution to immerse himself in learning, obtain a good-paying job upon release, and write a new chapter in his life story.

“I found a bevy of educational classes in the Orijin tablet. I took college courses and business courses. I was able to learn how to better communicate,” he says. “It offered so much that guys like myself wasn’t used to. We didn’t have anything but time on our hands. So Orijin gave us the opportunity to learn something different and get the tools that we would need upon our release.”

Today, Orijin is in hundreds of correctional facilities across 18 U.S. states, providing comprehensive education solutions for facilities and individualized pathways for learners that are effective, secure, and customizable. Research shows that incarcerated people who participate in prison education programs are 43% less likely to recidivate than those who do not.

To overcome the steep hurdles he would face post-release, including passing stringent background checks and the stigma associated with having a criminal record, Brown immersed himself in the Orijin learning platform, completing over 400 hours of programming and enrolling in numerous certificate programs that were tailored to his skills, interests, and aspirations.

The technology fascinated him. He would spend countless hours using it, running the battery dead, charging it back up, and jumping right back into learning. He honed in on a career path in healthcare. Upon his release, he earned a full-time position as a medical center case manager, helping mental health patients. Today, he has his sights on starting his own cleaning business.

“It was a blessing for a lot of guys that were coming in after me to have this opportunity. I came to prison when I was 19. I never had a job, so I really didn’t know what would be expected of me. I didn’t know how to fill out a job application. I didn’t know how to answer certain questions on the job interview, what to say, what not to say,” he says. “Orijin helped me a lot with preparing for my job interview. It helped me to interact with people, and learn the type of professionalism that is expected in a job environment. This part of the program was helpful for me.”

Given the challenges Brown faced in his educational journey, he says he is happy Orijin is helping incarcerated individuals access GED education on day one, rather than waiting many years into their sentence. “It took me 10 years to get my GED and in most places there’s a long waiting list to be placed in a class to be able to get your GED because of a bevy of different reasons, but mainly because of staffing and overcrowding of the institution,” he says. “So I think Orijin would help significantly, especially if every individual inside the institution had an opportunity to have one by themself. ”

Above all, Brown says Orijin provides hope to incarcerated people during their most challenging times in their lives.

“The system has gotten away from its original goal, which is to rehabilitate us,” he says. “I think Orijin should be placed in every institution around the United States and give these guys the opportunity to learn and educate. They should be able to get a GED because a lot of us have kids. A lot of us are coming home. You want to be able to assist your kids with schoolwork and helping them learn as well. So I think this is a beautiful situation for guys that are incarcerated.”