Eleven Evans Correctional Institution inmates enrolled at Northeastern Technical College received certifications in welding, machine tool, and work force science with all maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
One-by-one inmates donned in black caps and gowns walked across the front of the chapel as family members and inmates enrolled in Northeastern Technical Colleges watched the processional. Of the eleven students, all received certifications in Arc Welding and Machine tool and nine received certifications in Flux Core Welding and Workforce Science.
The ceremony was made possible by the Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Experiment, which allows incarcerated individuals to receive federal financial aid for higher education, increasing access to college.
“Our department couldn’t have success with recidivism without education and job skills programs like this one,” S.C. Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said. “I want to thank our colleagues at Northeastern Tech and the staff at Evans for making this program so successful. It wasn’t always easy to work through the limitations of the pandemic, but they stayed the course and provided the leadership and structure to help build a better life for our graduates and their families.”
“At some point, many of these men will be released from prison, so having the skills and education necessary to get a good job is vital. It will not only reduce the likelihood of them returning but also allow them to make significant contributions in support of their families and communities in the future,” NETC President Dr. Kyle Wagner said. A study from research corporation RAND, first conducted in 2013 and updated in 2018, found that access to postsecondary education in prison can reduce recidivism by up to 48 percent, which ultimately leads to safer communities and less of a financial burden for taxpayers.
In 2016, NETC was selected as one of 67 colleges in the United States to participate in a pilot program, which allowed incarcerated individuals to tap into their potential and gain the education and training while in prison so they can find employment following release.
Due to the success of the experiment, funding eligibility expanded in 2023 to include incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities throughout South Carolina.