danielle
07-24-2003, 06:45 PM
Inmates receive high school, WNCC diplomas
Sandi Wright
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
7/23/2003 10:20 pm
Nineteen prison inmates who received diplomas Wednesday were told they had obtained one of life’s most valuable possessions — education.
“There are a lot of things in life that can be taken away from you, but you will always have your education,” said Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City.
“Once you get it, it belongs to you forever and you attain an educational status that will be with you the rest of your life,” Amodei said.
Twelve inmates received diplomas from the Carson Adult High School program in the afternoon ceremony at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, along with seven others who earned associate degrees from Western Nevada Community College. Eight others who graduated from the high school program had been released or transferred from the prison.
Amodei, Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told graduates the Legislature this year passed a bill to restore civil rights to inmates who had completed their sentences.
“This state has been actively involved in recognizing the fact that people make mistakes and should be able to write new chapters in their books. You folks have taken a huge step, and I salute you,” he said.
Rick Van Ausdal, WNCC prison education coordinator, said Department of Corrections statistics show 80 to 90 percent of inmates do not have a high school or general equivalency diploma
Diploma when they enter prison.
Joshua Rogers, 26, serving a two- to six-year sentence for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, does not intend to return to prison. His fellow graduates chose him to make the commencement speech.
“I was scheduled to graduate from Carson High School in 1995, but I chose a different path,” Rogers told fellow graduates and about 40 well-wishers. “The education department here has put me on a different path and now, after much disruptive behavior, I’m back on the right path.”
Russell Crew, 41, who was sentenced to prison from Clark County for murder at the age of 19, received an associate degree from WNCC and will be eligible for parole next year.
“The first thing I’m going to do is re-establish my family relationships, but I’ve developed a number of skills and probably will go into some kind of computer work,” Crew said after the ceremony.
Myles Eshelman, lead teacher at NNCC, said recidivism goes down with education.
“We recognize that everybody makes mistakes and we’re much more a correctional institution than a prison. We’ve tried very hard to make this change and nobody has tried harder than the inmates,” Eshelman said.
“And the more education they have, the less likely they are to be disruptive while here,” he said.
Diplomas begin to pay off right away, Eshelman said.
“To get the really good jobs in here, like in prison industries, you have to have an education,” he said.
Crew landed a job in prison industries as a result of his recent achievement, Eshelman said.
“Pure statistics show that the vast majority — 95 to 97 percent — are going to leave the correctional institution. It only makes sense that we give them skills so they can have a better chance of success,” he said.
Sandi Wright
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
7/23/2003 10:20 pm
Nineteen prison inmates who received diplomas Wednesday were told they had obtained one of life’s most valuable possessions — education.
“There are a lot of things in life that can be taken away from you, but you will always have your education,” said Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City.
“Once you get it, it belongs to you forever and you attain an educational status that will be with you the rest of your life,” Amodei said.
Twelve inmates received diplomas from the Carson Adult High School program in the afternoon ceremony at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, along with seven others who earned associate degrees from Western Nevada Community College. Eight others who graduated from the high school program had been released or transferred from the prison.
Amodei, Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told graduates the Legislature this year passed a bill to restore civil rights to inmates who had completed their sentences.
“This state has been actively involved in recognizing the fact that people make mistakes and should be able to write new chapters in their books. You folks have taken a huge step, and I salute you,” he said.
Rick Van Ausdal, WNCC prison education coordinator, said Department of Corrections statistics show 80 to 90 percent of inmates do not have a high school or general equivalency diploma
Diploma when they enter prison.
Joshua Rogers, 26, serving a two- to six-year sentence for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, does not intend to return to prison. His fellow graduates chose him to make the commencement speech.
“I was scheduled to graduate from Carson High School in 1995, but I chose a different path,” Rogers told fellow graduates and about 40 well-wishers. “The education department here has put me on a different path and now, after much disruptive behavior, I’m back on the right path.”
Russell Crew, 41, who was sentenced to prison from Clark County for murder at the age of 19, received an associate degree from WNCC and will be eligible for parole next year.
“The first thing I’m going to do is re-establish my family relationships, but I’ve developed a number of skills and probably will go into some kind of computer work,” Crew said after the ceremony.
Myles Eshelman, lead teacher at NNCC, said recidivism goes down with education.
“We recognize that everybody makes mistakes and we’re much more a correctional institution than a prison. We’ve tried very hard to make this change and nobody has tried harder than the inmates,” Eshelman said.
“And the more education they have, the less likely they are to be disruptive while here,” he said.
Diplomas begin to pay off right away, Eshelman said.
“To get the really good jobs in here, like in prison industries, you have to have an education,” he said.
Crew landed a job in prison industries as a result of his recent achievement, Eshelman said.
“Pure statistics show that the vast majority — 95 to 97 percent — are going to leave the correctional institution. It only makes sense that we give them skills so they can have a better chance of success,” he said.