Female Inmates Graduate

Cloaked in ebony caps and gowns, the graduates strode proudly up to the stage to receive their certificates. Speeches were made, encouraging the freshly minted graduates. Family members beamed from the audience. Cake, ice cream and punch were passed around during the festivities.

But Wednesday’s ceremony was not your typical high school graduation.

The faces under the black caps and tassels belonged to inmates at the Chino-based California Institution for Women, a state prison housing about 2,300 offenders. Wednesday’s ceremony recognized approximately 50 women who had passed the General Educational Development test or received vocational certificates while serving time.

“The women that sat in front of me today, they really made the choice to not mess around,” Warden Dawn Davison said. “They chose their education.”

More than 250 women are typically enrolled at the El Prado Adult School, an educational facility within the prison. Inmates can take general education courses or study vocational topics. Women who enroll in the school and work toward an education certificate are less likely to commit crimes in the future, prison authorities said.

“What we try to instill in these ladies is that even if you’ve messed up and are incarcerated, life doesn’t stop,” said Lt. Larry Aaron, assistant to the warden. “With these skills, you can go out and re-integrate.”