Inmates at a State of Nevada prison are getting an opportunity to prepare for the outside world and not at the expense of tax payer dollars.
Professors from Western Nevada College are going into the classrooms of Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City and teaching classes such as sociology, business, math, and U.S. history. These all lead to a two-year associate degree. The main goal is lessening the likelihood of prisoners returning.
"They're going to be your neighbor. When they get out, that's where they're going, your neighborhoods. So it's up to us to give them the tools to success," said Warm Springs Warden Harold Wickham.
Inmates applied with WNC to be accepted into the program. They are also are responsible to fund-raise whether through scholarship or from family. A Bar-B-Que hosted by the veteran's integration program and WNC raised $4,500 for scholarships, which allowed for 15 inmates to attend classes this fall.
Warm Springs is the only prison in Nevada with a college program and is something the Warden says will be a model for all facilities of the Nevada Department of Corrections.
