The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) raised enough money through fundraising for 15 incarcerated veterans at the Warm Springs Correctional Center (WSCC) to attend college classes.
The fundraiser was hosted by the Veteran’s Integration Program which included a barbeque on Memorial Day in May. The incarcerated veterans and staff organized the barbeque as well as cooked the steaks and raised over $4,000.
All proceeds will be used to offer inmates the opportunity to attend college classes through Western Nevada College (WNC).
On August 31st, the ceremonial check was handed from WSCC Warden Harold Wickham to Kevin Burns, Director of Veteran’s Resource Center at the Western Nevada College.
“I’m really proud of the efforts of my staff and the inmates,” stated Warden Wickham. “Inmates taking responsibility and working to fund their own education in custody is pretty groundbreaking. We hope to set the example for other facilities to follow.”
The NDOC says that the department has been undergoing a change in philosophy since James Dzurenda took over as Director and that they have made it their mission to “incorporate proven rehabilitation initiatives that prepare individuals for successful reintegration into our communities.”
“Our mission is about inmates changing their behavior, and we’ve seen some proof that it works in the inmates who participate in these programs,” explained Warden Wickham. “Since we’ve started the Veterans program, for example, there have been less incidents, less fights… inmates are working toward a common goal and are motivated to do better. We really have seen changes already.”
The inmates had to apply and be accepted in order to attend the college courses, the classes will be taught on site at the prison and lead to a two year Associate’s Degree if the inmates complete all the courses.
“We expect the inmates who go through these programs to be better equipped for the real world when they get released,” added Warden Wickham. “Ultimately, this is a win - win for us and for the community.”
