Commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Correctional Facility

Four inmates received their Associates Degrees, which marked the first time Airway Heights Correctional Facility has allowed inmates to earn college degrees, made possible through state funding that followed a privately funded pilot program at Coyote Ridge Correctional Center and the Walla Walla State Penitentiary.

Section:Gallery

Thu., April 25, 2019

David Hall, 39, gestures eagerly while walking to receive his diploma from Spokane Community College President Kevin Brockbank during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Hall was one of four Airway Heights prisoners to earn an associate degree while incarcerated.

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Inmates line up to receive diplomas for GED, vocational and associate degree programs during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

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David Hall, 39, receives his diploma from Spokane Community College President Kevin Brockbank during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Hall was one of four Airway Heights prisoners to earn an associate degree while incarcerated.

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Robert Long, 49, shakes hands with Community Colleges of Spokane faculty and staff during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. “This gives me every tool I need to succeed,” said Long, who earned one-year certificates in aerospace composites and computer-aided drafting and design.

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Graduates stand for the national anthem during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. They earned diplomas for GED, vocational and associate degree programs while incarcerated.

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Robert Long, 49, throws his graduation cap in the air at the Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. “This gives me every tool I need to succeed,” said Long, who earned one-year certificates in aerospace composites and computer-aided drafting and design from Spokane Community College.

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Christine Johnson, chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane, speaks during a commencement ceremony at Airway Heights Corrections Center on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Students earned diplomas for GED, vocational and associate degree programs while incarcerated.

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