NEWS

November 15, 2010
GED grads say prison program has changed their lives

It was a testament that hard work can be completed even in the most restricting and dangerous of environments, as 19 Iowa State Penitentiary offenders received their GED diplomas Wednesday.

For 170 years, the ISP has stood its ground in Fort Madison. For 140 of those years the institution has provided education to offenders within its confines. Since 1960, Southeastern Community College has provided that education. These offenders come from all walks of life, and from all age groups, young and old. “We will have GED students at ISP ranging in age from 17 to 70,” said Robin Malmberg, supervisor of corrections education.

One of those 19 GED diploma earners is Richard Abrahamson. “My GED means the world to me for countless reasons,” he said. “With an educated mind I know I am prepared to further my education at a good college. I know that if I can succeed, anyone can. They just need to put forth the effort.” Abrahamson said he plans to study computer science upon his release from ISP.

Andre Buford also earned his GED diploma. In the next few months he will be released back into the outside world in which he once lived. Though as he put it, before coming to prison, he led his life on a “path of destruction.” “I’m out at the end of the year,” he said. “I now feel like I have something that I can take with me on the road of self worth and better decision making.”

David Magee believes he found his professional calling while in prison honing his writing skill and love of the written word. “People think getting your GED is easy – it’s not,” he said. “I started working on it when I was at Anamosa prison. All I wanted to do was quit. But as I read some of the authors of today, I realized that my writing was better. When I came to ISP, Ms. (Merilin) Jones stayed on me to finish my GED.

During this process I lost my grandma, and that loss shook me to my core. By my mother convinced me to stick with it. I’m sorry she had to see me graduate in prison, but I guess it’s better now than never.” For Ulises Morales-Garcia it took finding the love of his life before he could make a change for the better. And he could do nothing but thank her for setting him straight. “I went to a prison before this one where all I wanted to do was fight and protect my reputation,” he said. “But in 2008 I met someone who changed my life. I came to ISP as a new person – someone I hope my family and my shorty can be proud of.”

Nineteen-year-old Chase Riessen doesn’t sugarcoat his day-to-day life in prison. But he offers sincere thankfulness for the teaching staff inside the walls. “I really want to thank Ms. Jones,” he said. “She continues to support me in and out of lockup. I came into prison as a juvenile so I could not finish high school. I just want to thank her for sticking by me.”

Kelvin Scott, 46, now knows that he holds the key to change the world he lives in, and he says every day from here on he will take the little education he has and change what is in his power to change, and help make a positive difference. “I should be ashamed to stand here before you,” he said. “And I am. Ashamed that I didn’t take advantage of getting the proper education while I was young. Oh, I learned to count to 12, but that was just from rolling them dice.”

Scott said he was tricked into getting his GED by Kerry Murray, teacher in the Critical Care Unit at ISP. “He tricked me because he challenged me to get my GED,” added Scott. Nick Ludwick, warden of the ISP, insisted that getting Ds in school isn’t typically something to be proud of.

But there are certain Ds people can be proud of learning. “Dedication, determination and discipline,” he said. “These guys have taken a great step to distinguish themselves from the herd.” Ludwick then challenged the offenders to keep their word and understand that education doesn’t stop with the GED they earned at ISP. “One difference about this class reunion is that I don’t want to see you guys back here in 10 years,” Ludwick told the graduates. “That doesn’t mean you can’t write me a letter.”

Sue Dunlay has been educating offenders for 14 years at ISP. She knows her students strengths and weaknesses, and helps them believe in themselves first. “As corrections educators we work with adult men who think about their past failures in school,” she said. “They fear school. We get them past that fear and guide and motivate them to earn their GED. They worked very hard; they worried; and they earned this GED, one test at a time. Now they are more capable than they have ever been.”

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