NATCHEZ — Behind a heavy metal door marked “male quarters” 13 inmates at the Adams County jail sat quietly Thursday waiting for their weekly English lesson to begin.

The inmates are part of a program that allows them to work on their GED. The general equivalency degree is given in place of a high school diploma.

While the program has only been in Adams County for about 18 months it was, until very recently, on hiatus due to sheriff elections.

In fact the current class is the first in six months.

Jail Administrator Major Charles Harrigill said inmates were extremely excited to have the program back.

“About 40 signed up,” Harrigill said.

However only 13 were admitted in to the class due to class size constraints.

Only non-violent offenders may participate in the class.

“They are always such gentlemen,” said Carol Robinson, a basic skills instructor with Copiah-Lincoln at Wesson.

Robinson teaches GED classes at four correctional facilities in Mississippi.

Her counterpart, Charlyne Oten, is a retired English teacher with 31-years experience.

“The need so much encouragement,” Oten said.

Both Robinson and Oten said many of their pupils had little or no encouragement in their childhood years.

Regardless of encouragement, Eason Peeples is determined to get his GED.

At just 22, Peeples has been in jail for the last month and a half after he was arrested for burglary and forgery.

Peeples completed the eighth grade but dropped out in the ninth.

He said while his father was in and out of prison his mother had to work long hours to support he and his three siblings.

Peeples said he became heavily involved with drugs at a young age.

“I’d use whatever I could,” he said. “But I have to get this (GED) you can’t work without one.”

Peeples said it took jail for him to get sober and to gain perspective.

Though Peeples is determined to complete his GED upon his release not everyone will, or can.

“Some of them stop when they get out. But some simply don’t have what it takes,” Robinson said. “But we always encourage them.”