WINONA LAKE — Grace College’s 30-year contract with the Indiana Department of Correctional Facility will be canceled effective the beginning of the year.

Recently, the state decided to transition from two vendors providing education to inmates to a single vendor for 2017. Grace College was not chosen to continue their services in the coming year. Oakland City University will continue working with the facility next year.

Director of public relations at Grace College Amanda Banks states that Grace College’s work with the facility began as a Bible study in 1986 and transitioned into traditional undergraduate education in four state prisons with over 1,100 college degrees conferred. In 2012, Grace began to provide high school equivalency and vocational education.

In a statement Banks said, “Grace College has enjoyed ministering and educating men in Indiana prisons for over 30 years … We have been privileged to witness countless lives changed through these programs.”

“We have the utmost respect and confidence in Oakland City University as they go forward with prison education in our state,” said Banks.