Carson City Adult Education held a graduation ceremony Wednesday at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center to recognize offenders who earned educational credentials while incarcerated.
A total of 75 students received their adult high school diplomas and 24 were awarded their GEDs.
The event took place at the correctional center on East Snyder Avenue, where school officials and family members gathered as inmates walked across the stage to “Pomp and Circumstance” playing over a loudspeaker.
“Not everyone knows that the Carson City School District also has a responsibility to offer educational opportunities in our community's correctional facilities,” said Andrew Feuling, superintendent for the Carson City School District. “It is always an inspiring day to see these men walk the stage and get recognized for their hard work and achievement. You can see it means a lot to them, whether aged 18 or 77, to finally have this moment in their life.”
Research shows that prison education programs provide inmates with purpose during incarceration and reduce recidivism by as much as 43 percent.
This decrease in reoffending benefits society by easing capacity demands on law enforcement and correctional systems, Feuling added.
“I feel extremely lucky to work with such amazing teachers,” said Bob Chambers, director of Adult and Prison Education with the Carson City School District. “They are dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities to their students. Everyone's hard work culminates with this graduation celebration.”
Many offenders acknowledged they had dismissed school as teenagers but have found new motivation through education while incarcerated.
The program offers a variety of academic courses aimed at improving reading and math skills, along with Career Technical Education and Workforce Preparation courses to prepare students for employment after release.
