Educational and Vocational Programs

Juvenile, Adult, and Vocational Programs

Through its partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) and Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), the Allegheny County Jail provides a wide range of educational opportunities for incarcerated juveniles and adults. That partnership has been in place for over two decades, and it’s allowed the ACJ to offer a variety of educational options taught by teaching professionals in an effort to prepare incarcerated individuals for the next step in life.

Juvenile Services

Juveniles at the Allegheny County Jail attend classes at the John “Jack” Pischke Education Center on a daily basis. The school is managed by Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and enables students the opportunity to achieve credits toward a high school diploma. Students receive financial incentives for participation in the program.   

Courses offered are in line with the curriculum at other PPS high schools, and the staff are Pennsylvania-certified teachers. A licensed professional counselor and a special education teacher are also on staff.

Any inquiries into the educational programs at the Allegheny County Jail should be directed to Garrett Besonson at 412-350-2187.

Adult Education Program

Allegheny County Jail inmates 18 and older are eligible for the Adult Education Workforce Program, managed by the Allegheny Intermediate Union (AIU). Trainees receive financial incentives for participation in the program.   

Two Tracks Available

  1. AIU GED (General Education Diploma) Track: Upon entering the AIU GED Track, individuals go through an assessment and are placed in one of three classes. Each class is designed to put the incarcerated individual on a path to earn his or her GED.
  2. AIU Workforce Track: Designated only for individuals with a high school diploma or the equivalent, the AIU Workforce Track has two options.
    • An eight-week Computer Workforce Literacy program helps individuals learn computer skills, including resume writing to basic keyboarding to Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
    • The second option is a Pre-Apprenticeship program designed to prepare the incarcerated individuals for acceptance into a building trade union.

Tutoring Help

In addition to the options listed above, the Adult Education Program has a partnership with the Petey Greene Program to provide tutoring opportunities. Petey Greene Program Volunteers from the program help instructors and inmates achieve their educational goals.

Any inquiries into the educational programs at the Allegheny County Jail should be directed to Garrett Besonson at 412-350-2187.

Vocational Training Program

The Vocational Training Program was initiated to incentivize participation in vocational training and educational programming at the Allegheny County Jail. The goal is for eligible trainees to learn pertinent life skills and/or vocational training to promote a successful transition back into society to ultimately reduce the chance of recidivism. Trainees can choose to participate in the Educational Program Track, the Vocational Training Track or both.

Educational Program

Participants can earn financial incentives for taking classes in the ACJ’s Re-Entry Center and the Education Center. 

Vocational Training

Trainees can earn financial incentives for filling various roles throughout the facility by participating in programs like the barber shop, biohazard cleanup, culinary, custodial, intake, laundry, painting, salon and supply department.

For more information, contact Vocational Training Supervisor Victoria Wozniak at victoria.wozniak@alleghenycounty.us.

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