Prisoners step toward future
The certificate was a symbol of hope – that life had perhaps taken a different turn, that second chances exist, even from behind a prison cell.
For inmates at Airway Heights Corrections Center, earning a General Educational Development certificate was like opening a door.
“This is important to me,” said Robert Freeman, one of 42 offenders honored during a graduation ceremony Wednesday. Although he’s scheduled to remain in prison until 2023 for an assault in King County, Freeman now has dreams of becoming a paralegal or even an attorney. “I feel assured that I can keep going,” he said. “I’m not afraid of going after my next goal.”
The equivalent of a high school diploma, the GED certificate he earned in prison will allow Freeman to enroll in vocational programs or pursue higher education. It’ll give him a chance to work in the prison’s optical lab or as a teacher’s aide instead of the more menial jobs performed by inmates who dropped out of high school.
“Graduation is a real milestone for offenders,” said Risa Klemme, the public information officer at Airway Heights Corrections Center. “The fact that they’re able to achieve this is a big step, and it’s crucial to their re-entry in the community.”
All inmates without high school diplomas are required by law to attend Adult Basic Education courses, which are taught by instructors from the Institute for Extended Learning, one of the three branches that make up Community Colleges of Spokane. Some offenders are reluctant to take the mandatory classes, said W. Kelly Chun, the assistant vice president for corrections education, but as many as 87 percent eventually earn their GED. Every week, about 650 of the roughly 2,100 inmates are enrolled in courses.
IEL instructors also offer classes in several areas including English as a Second Language, vocational upholstery and Web technology, but the vast majority of the inmates taking part in educational programs sign up for the Adult Basic Education program.
Nearly 1,900 inmates have earned GED certificates since the program started in the mid-1990s, Klemme said. So far this year, 86 offenders have graduated.
On Wednesday, 42 more marched into the gym of the prison’s recreational building wearing blue caps and gowns as “Pomp and Circumstance” blared from a large speaker. Except for the prison guards who stood near the door, the ceremony wasn’t unlike the rite of passage that most people experience when they complete a program or earn a degree. George Lajueness, the facility’s chaplain, said a prayer. Linda Aff and Marcia Keene, who work for the Department of Corrections, volunteered to play the violin and keyboards. KXLY news anchor Debra Wilde inspired the inmates with a speech about overcoming barriers in life.
“When you get your diploma, I want that to be a tangible reminder of what you’ve worked for and what you can do with your life,” Wilde said. “This is a huge opportunity for you.”
The graduates also heard from fellow inmate Edward King, who earned his bachelor’s degree and a master’s in philosophy from California State University while incarcerated at Airway Heights. “This isn’t the end, gentlemen,” said King, who used his own money to pay for the distance learning courses. “It’s just the beginning.” He congratulated them for choosing to study hard instead of playing cards or dominoes in the game room.
As they walked across the gym floor to receive their certificates and shake hands with a dozen DOC and IEL administrators, each inmate smiled at the sound of his own name intoned into the microphone. They later celebrated by throwing their caps into the air and eating cupcakes.
Labrone Gaines, who will be released next month after spending 1½ years behind bars for violating a protection order, said he was happy to earn his GED and to share this experience with four of his friends from Seattle who have also been incarcerated at Airway Heights. Gaines said he plans to send his GED certificate to his 10-year-old daughter living on the West Side. “I want to let her know there are trials and tribulations, but you don’t have to give up,” he said. “You can accomplish things.”
Freeman, who plans to spend more time in the prison’s law library and appeal his sentence, said he would never have accomplished this feat if it hadn’t been for the support of his family. His wife, Aria Freeman, traveled from Seattle for the graduation. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” said Aria, who married Robert Freeman 11/2 years ago, before he was sent to prison. “I’m very proud of him.”