Education at FCI Morgantown: Literacy, GED, and ESL — What Families Should Know

Start with the BOP's Directory of National Programs. This Bureau-wide reference spells out what each national program should look like - no rumors or guesswork required. For each program, the Directory covers the description, time frame, admission criteria, content, empirical support, applicable policies, and which institutions offer it. Use this to understand what your loved one may need to participate in, and what questions to ask when you want specifics for FCI Morgantown.

In the BOP, literacy education isn't optional for most people without a confirmed GED or high school diploma. With a few exceptions, inmates must enroll in the Literacy Program for at least 240 instructional hours - or until they earn a GED. If your loved one entered custody without a verified diploma or GED, expect education staff to treat literacy classes as a required part of their schedule.

Literacy Schedule Exemptions

• ✓ Literacy classes are scheduled Monday through Friday.
• ✓ Each literacy class session meets a minimum of 1½ hours per day.

If your loved one is considered limited English proficient, the BOP treats English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) as required programming. Exemptions are handled at the institution level - the Warden may grant them in specific cases. In practice, someone who needs ESL should expect it to be part of their regular routine, not an optional class they can skip.

• ✓ ESL classes are scheduled Monday through Friday.
• ✓ Each ESL class session meets a minimum of 1½ hours per day.

What does this mean for FCI Morgantown? At minimum, the core literacy requirement should be available - the BOP's national program Directory identifies where programs are offered and how they operate. Beyond that baseline, the exact mix of classes can vary by institution and by what education staff are currently running. The most reliable way to avoid surprises: use the Directory as your source document, then confirm current offerings directly through institution channels.

1. Start with the Directory entry for the program - Look at the program’s description, time frame, admission criteria, and program content so you know what the BOP says the program includes.
2. Check the “Institution Locations” section - This is where the Directory tells you which facilities the program is offered at.
3. Write down the specifics you want to confirm - For example, whether your loved one is required to attend, what the expected time commitment is, and what the admission criteria are.
4. Ask for the current, local picture - Use the Directory’s structure to request the program summary details for what’s currently being offered at FCI Morgantown.

Action Steps

• ✓ Use the BOP Directory of National Programs to review program descriptions, time frames, admission criteria, and institution locations.
• ✓ If your loved one doesn’t have a confirmed GED/high school diploma, ask whether they’re enrolled in the Literacy Program and working toward the 240-hour requirement (or a GED).
• ✓ Ask what the weekday class schedule looks like right now for Literacy and/or ESL, since both are structured around Monday–Friday sessions with a minimum daily class length.
• ✓ If you believe an exemption applies (literacy or ESL), ask what documentation or status is being used to support that exemption and how it affects required participation.