25 inmates celebrate graduation
By Mary Alice Royse
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HARTSVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — The Trousdale Correctional Center hosted a graduation celebration for 25 student-inmates and their families on Friday.
CoreCivic officials said seven students earned a high school equivalency diploma, four students a Construction CORE Safety certificate, two students a vocational certificate in masonry, 11 students a Career Management for Success certificate of completion, and one student a paralegal certification from Blackstone Career Institute.
“My experience in the education department at Trousdale has been a positive one. I came to prison without a high school diploma. Being a high school dropout limited me in basic finance advancements,” said Randall Edwards, who earned his HSE diploma on Aug. 19, after months dedicated to his school work.
According to CoreCivic, inmates who enroll in correctional education can increase their chances of securing gainful employment following release and decrease their chances of returning to prison by 43%.
Edwards also thanked Trousdale’s education department for supporting his studies. “As a student, I was shown the advantage of having a high school diploma. I would like to thank the education department for their encouragement in my success of my new ongoing journey.”
“Education is vital to offenders’ success upon reentry because it not only teaches them a vocational trade or assists in completing their high school equivalency, but it also teaches how to appropriately react to negative feedback from discouraging people in their lives,” said Dr. Monica Burns-Dunnagan, education counselor at Trousdale. “Education also allows offenders to re-enter their community with tools to tackle life, be successful, speak to potential employers, as well as avoid falling into setbacks.”
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