Education, Vocational Programs, and Minimum-Custody Work at Foothills CI

Education and vocational programming at Foothills CI comes from Adult Correction and Western Piedmont Community College teachers. The facility reports full-time programming capacity for 200 offenders, plus part-time programming for another 100. Those numbers matter. They give you a realistic sense of how competitive a seat can be, especially if your loved one is starting from the basics or working toward a major milestone. Reported education offerings include basic skill instruction for people with less than an eighth grade education level, along with classes that prepare offenders to take and pass the adult high school equivalency exam.

Foothills CI ties housing space directly to participation. The facility reports 234 cells designated for offenders in education and vocational programs. For families, that is a useful clue: program participation is built into how the institution organizes main housing areas, not treated like a rare add-on.

Work assignments inside the prison have their own housing allocation. Foothills CI reports 150 cells designated for offenders assigned to jobs inside the prison. Combined with the education and vocational allocation, this points to two big tracks your loved one may move toward over time: structured programming and institutional jobs.

The Minimum Custody Unit at Foothills has a specific medical role. The facility reports that it houses a chronic disease unit serving the Western Region. If your loved one has ongoing medical needs, this detail can help you ask more informed questions about where they are housed and what type of medical support comes with that unit.

Minimum custody can also include structured work placements. Foothills reports that the Minimum Custody Unit provides 56 offenders to the Correctional Enterprise Broughton Laundry Operation. For families, this is one of the clearest, publicly stated examples of a specific work assignment with a defined number of positions tied to this unit.

1. Ask your loved one what they are currently assigned to (education/vocational, an internal job, or neither). That gives you a starting point before you try to advocate.
2. If they are trying to enroll or transfer, have them request information through the facility process so there is a documented ask on their side.
3. Follow up directly with the facility’s primary contact if you need confirmation of who to speak with or how to verify status. Foothills CI lists Ms. Teresa Jardon as the primary contact and warden, with a phone number and email available on the facility PREA report.