Mission and Goals
The mission of the WSD is to provide appropriate educational programming and services to meet the needs of the eligible offender population in the TDCJ and reduce recidivism by assisting offenders in becoming responsible, productive members of their communities.
The goals of the WSD shall include educating offenders to:
Reduce recidivism
Reduce the cost of confinement or imprisonment
Increase the success of former inmates in obtaining and maintaining employment
Provide an incentive to inmates to behave in positive ways during
confinement or imprisonment.
History
Named by the Texas Board of Corrections for the late James M. Windham, a 24-year member of the Board, Windham School District (WSD) was created in 1969 to provide adult education in Texas prisons. Windham School District was the first school system of its scope to be established within a statewide prison system. Though it began with a staff of only eight instructors, Windham is now one of the largest correctional education systems in the nation, providing educational programs and services in most Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) facilities.