Graduates celebrate achievements during WVCF ceremony

Wabash Valley Correctional Facility 

CARLISLE - One hundred twenty-five Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (WVCF) offenders celebrated a major life achievement today.  It was graduation day at the maximum-security prison with offenders donning caps and gowns and proudly earning high school equivalency, career development training, vocational and apprenticeship certification.  Family members were also be in attendance to witness this vital step on their road to re-entering society.

Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) funded educational programs are important mechanisms in reducing the recidivism rate among released offenders.  Successful completion of available programming also equals anywhere from three to six-month time cuts.

Oakland City University is contracted to provide a wide-range of programming from ABE (Adult Basic Education) to Master Student Master Employee (MSME).  Graduates develop skills valued by employers, from math to graphic literacy and acquire certifications that employers look for in perspective employees.

Apprenticeship programs offered through the United States Department of Labor continue to flourish, offering certification in seven different fields of study including barbering, landscape management and machine operator.  Apprenticeships provide employment enhancing skills for offenders upon release.

The vocational based Building Trades program, covering all facets of home construction, is now affiliated with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).  The program includes OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) certification, something students will need to nail well-paying jobs upon release.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jennifer McCormick was the featured speaker for the 2017 graduates and their families.
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She told the graduates, "This is your moment, use this moment to reflect on what you have done, celebrate it, because it took courage."  Superintendent McCormick urged the graduates to keep moving forward.  "The odds have been stacked against you but remember to be nimble in the face of barriers and opportunities as you re-enter society."  Always remember to be nice and be respectful," she added. 

​Superintendent McCormick said their educational achievements are needed by employers, as Indiana will need to fill a million new jobs over the next two years.