DUBLIN, Ga. — Johnny Cleveland spent 27 years of his life in prison. "My life experiences have been great and they've been bad," he said.
As a free man, he knows how hard it is as an adult to go back to school. "I'm 49 years old, and if I walk into a classroom now, you got a 17-,18-,19-, or even a 20-year-old looking at me like, 'What your old behind doing in here?" Cleveland said.
The Transformer House on Prince Street in Dublin is normally used for an after-school youth mentoring program, but starting July 10th, adults will be able to come here and take GED classes for free.
Dean Demme McManus from Oconee Fall Line Technical College is partnering with Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman to get people off the streets and into the classroom.
"27% of the population in Laurens County live below poverty or lives in poverty, so that's a huge area for us to try to facilitate ways to help them better themselves," McManus said.
"I feel like it will reduce crime. If we can offer a better life, a better way to pull out the purpose of an individual, to help jump-start them from a tragedy, Dublin wins," Chatman said.
Instructor Sonya Calvin says it's a chance to change lives.
"You have a free seat to come and make a difference in your life and possibly the lives of other family members," Calvin said.
"If you really want to learn, all you have to do is get here -- whether you walk with an umbrella or catch a cab, you can get here, you can get your education now," Cleveland said.
McManus says they have 12 spots open. The class is planned Monday- Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Orientation will be July 9th and classes will being July 10th.
If you're interested, you can call OFTC's Dublin Office at 478-274-7848.