Inmates graduate from SCC programs

LINCOLN – Twenty-four individuals at the Nebraska State Penitentiary earned Southeast Community College degrees and certificates during a January 13th graduation ceremony.

Starting in the spring 2024 semester, NDCS partnered with SCC to expand access to higher education across five NDCS facilities/locations through SCC’s prison education initiative called Unlocking Potential With Academic Resources and Development.

Director Rob Jeffreys said, “This partnership with SCC gives students real skills and real hope, and it also reflects something bigger: Rehabilitation is a shared effort across Nebraska.”

Twenty-two students earned a certificate in business after completing a six- course program covering accounting, business fundamentals, management, and communication. Two students, who had begun their studies prior to incarceration, applied SCC classes toward the completion of associate of applied science degrees in integrated technology and welding technology.

Amy Doty, dean Public Safety & Correctional Education at Southeast Community College said, “Graduation inside a correctional facility is a powerful reminder of what is possible when opportunity and effort meet.”

In July 2024, SCC became the first institution in Nebraska — and one of the first nationwide — to receive U.S. Department of Education approval for a Pell eligible Prison Education Program, following the 2023 reinstatement of Pell eligibility for incarcerated students. The approval significantly expanded access to postsecondary education for individuals in NDCS custody.