Students in Wisconsin prisons get second chance through education

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) is partnering with several technical colleges to celebrate graduates at 12 DOC facilities.

Sadique Isahaku with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) says the number of students in the program continues to grow.

"Today is so special because the number of graduates has been growing since we started this program five-and-a-half years ago," he said.

Thirty-one of the graduates have completed course work from MATC. This is all thanks to federal Pell Grant funding.

"I feel blessed that I made it out here to put on my cap and gown," said Jimmy Cunningham.

Cunningham was recently released after serving an eight-year sentence. He says pursing his education while incarcerated took a lot of determination. "Staying focused, not getting sidetracked and keeping a C average to pass the course," he said.

Despite the difficulty, he's proud to say he did it.

"It's been a rough journey. Now I'm just trying to turn my life around and get everything back on track and continue my education," said Cunningham.

Officials say people who participate in education programs while incarcerated are less likely to return to prison in the future.

"The students who have completed our program and have been released...we do not have evidence of any of them going back to prison," said Isahaku.

Education programs like this also increase the odds of landing a job after students are released.