Education Based Incarceration Academic Programs The Sheriff's Department, through the Education Based Incarceration Bureau, contracts with approved adult educational schools to provide courses at all jail facilities. The curriculum is based on California state standards, and is kept up to date with current requirements. It includes: Adult Basic Education: This series of courses is offered to students preparing for the formal GED preparation course. It features a systematic "building block" approach to development of improved reading, writing, and math skills. General Educational Development: For inmate students who have not yet achieved a high school diploma, this program offers an alternative diploma in the form of a state-approved equivalency series in the areas of language arts (reading, writing, and comprehension skills), mathematics, science, and social studies.