Aiken County inmates passing GED tests - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

Captain Nick Gallam knows a thing or two about the Aiken County Detention Center.

"I've just grown up in the jail," he said. "From working on the floor, up through supervision and training."

He's the man that runs the operation at the facility off of Wire Road. He deals frequently with tough conditions.

"A lot of times it's known for the negative aspects," Gallam said. "Someone escaping, someone being mistreated, something like that. But there's a lot of good things that go on in detention centers across the country."

One of the good things this week: eight inmates passing the GED test.

"It shows people are interested in going to work," said Gallam. "And have developed some skills to become employed."

It's part of a program established in 2007 in partnership with Aiken County Adult Education. The main mission: to prevent possible repeat offenders from getting caught in the revolving door.

"With the other inmates seeing these people accomplish something, I think it gives them some confidence to say, 'you know what...why don't I do something with my time while I'm here?"

Captain Gallam says with the now growing program, the hope is to have a safer community and smaller bill for taxpayers.