Introduction to Prison Graduation

In many ways, it looked like any college graduation. There were balloons, flowers and squares of frosted marble cake. Rows of family and friends faced a lectern in the fluorescent-lit gymnasium.

An Unconventional Commencement

But the uniformed guards patrolling the gym underscored that this was no ordinary commencement. It was the first of its kind to take place inside the East Moline Correctional Center, a minimum-security men’s prison on the Illinois-Iowa border about two and a half hours west of Chicago.

The Graduation Ceremony

As the procession music played from a tabletop speaker, three students in caps and gowns marched up the aisle on Tuesday to become the first graduates of Augustana College to earn their bachelor’s degrees while serving prison sentences.

Emotional Moment for Graduates

“This moment is causing a lot of mixed emotions,” said one incarcerated student, Brandon Johnson, addressing the room. “They say there’s no crying in prison, but I brought some tissue just in case.”

The Augustana Prison Education Program

The Augustana Prison Education Program, or APEP, began full-time in the fall of 2021 and gained accreditation the following spring. It now has about 30 people enrolled. Students take college courses on everything from physics to poetry — but without access to the Internet and sometimes writing assignments by hand.

Program Details

“It’s the same Augustana degree requirements, same professors, same rigor — in a prison,” said Sharon Varallo, the program’s executive director.

First Graduates

The first to graduate, David Staples, finished his degree on-campus last year after his release from prison in 2022. Now, he has been joined by four more graduates, including the three present at Tuesday’s ceremony: Jorge Herrejon, Brandon Johnson and Chris Allen.

Support from Family and Friends

“I’m so proud of him. He’s taken a bad situation and made the best of it,” said Jim Allen, Chris Allen’s father.

Traveling for the Ceremony

He said he drove three hours from central Illinois the previous night to see his son, who was locked up as a teenager, graduate from college.

Demand for Educational Programs

There is high demand for educational programs in prison but very few opportunities. Incarcerated students describe their time in the classroom as transformative, and it helps many earn time off their sentences. But only about 600 of the more than 29,000 people in Illinois prisons are enrolled in higher education programs, according to the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Personal Stories

Steven Cardenas, a first-year student locked up at East Moline, said it took three tries before he was accepted into APEP.

Positive Experience

“It’s an opportunity that’s not given in a lot of different facilities and one that I jumped at immediately because it’s like I get to do something positive with my time,” he said.

Future Plans

Herrejon said he enrolled in college not just for himself but primarily to set an example for his younger siblings. His little brother attended the ceremony.

Setting an Example

“I had to change, and they had to see that,” Herrejon said. “And I am proud to say that none of them have followed in the footsteps that I walked before I was incarcerated.”

Career Aspirations

Herrejon said he’s not sure what he’ll do with his degree once he’s released. He is 31 and has been incarcerated since he was 17.

Giving Back

“I do know that I wanted to be in service of people who are underprivileged, underrepresented…and teach them that there are options in life,” he said.

Conclusion

The graduation ceremony at the East Moline Correctional Center marked a significant milestone for the Augustana Prison Education Program and its students. Despite the challenges they face, these individuals have demonstrated their commitment to education and personal growth.

FAQs

Q: What is the Augustana Prison Education Program?
A: The Augustana Prison Education Program (APEP) is a college program that offers bachelor’s degrees to incarcerated individuals at the East Moline Correctional Center in Illinois.
Q: How many students are enrolled in the program?
A: The program has about 30 people enrolled.
Q: What kind of courses do students take?
A: Students take college courses on everything from physics to poetry, without access to the Internet and sometimes writing assignments by hand.
Q: How many people in Illinois prisons are enrolled in higher education programs?
A: Only about 600 of the more than 29,000 people in Illinois prisons are enrolled in higher education programs.