EDITOR’S NOTE: This story and photos were submitted by Brandon Steinert at Barton Community College. Steinert notes: All photos showing inmates have been approved to be published by the Kansas Department of Corrections. I have omitted the last name of a prisoner identified in the story to protect the victims and the inmate’s identity, as requested by ECF personnel. Also, know that names shown on certificates in photos have been blurred out for the same reason.

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

The current stereotype surrounding prisons is that they are built to punish. While that’s technically part of the criminal justice process, Barton Community College and the Kansas Department of Corrections are giving inmates the opportunity to improve themselves through education, which is contributing to the change in how prisons are perceived.
More than 80 inmates were recognized during the Ninth Annual Learning Celebration on  Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility for reaching milestones in their educations through Barton’s Building Academic Skills In Correctional Settings (BASICS) program.
Jason, an inmate for about two decades, was put in prison at age 16. He had a fifth-grade education and struggled with reading and writing, but managed to earn his GED in 2001 at another prison. After the current semester, he will have 36 hours toward his associate degree, and eventually a bachelor’s degree.
“It’s a goal, and it gives me something to live for,” he said. “I want to educate myself the entire time I’m incarcerated. It was really like a life-changing event when I started taking classes. I had spent about 17 years in prison, and had many left to go. I just thought to myself, ‘What am I going to do, just sit here and rot in prison, and then just fade away?’ I took English Composition 1, and it was just a whole other world. It was like parts of my brain were stimulated that had never been touched before.
“I was 16 years old for 20 years,” he said. “I think I’m finally growing up.”
Many inmates had similar stories, and all made different mistakes to end up in prison. All, however, were united Tuesday evening as they came together to celebrate their successes.
Some were awarded a GED or recognized for achieving Work Ready status as recognized by the state of Kansas. Others had taken the next step and earned certificates in a trade like welding, computers or manufacturing skills.
All of these opportunities are afforded to inmates thanks to grant funding and the drive of several employees and administrators at Barton and Ellsworth Correctional Facility, such as Dean of Workforce Training and Community Education Elaine Simmons, who helped start the program several years ago.
“Soak this up. Do not let this moment get past you,” Simmons said. “Feel it. Embrace it and understand it. And tomorrow, do something with it.”
Many of the inmates were able to take courses with the help of privately funded scholarships. Barton Foundation Director Darnell Holopirek distributed certificates to the 28 scholarship recipients.
“You keep working as hard as you are, and I’ll keep working as hard as I am, and we’re going to make a team,” she said to the crowd. “Nine years ago, I walked in here with three scholarships, (now there are more than two dozen). So, you can see how people value what you’re doing. You believe in yourselves – I believe in you and the college believes in you.”
Barton Trustees Leonard Bunselmeyer and Don Learned were both in attendance to offer their support for the inmates and the program.
“We really have a desire to do the best for you,” Learned told the crowd.
As the inmates benefit from that desire and take advantage of Barton’s offerings, and as they make progress toward their degrees or certificates and are eventually released, they would do well to keep the challenge issued by Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman at the forefront of their minds.
“Make something of it for each of yourselves, and don’t stop... don’t stop. Do something of value with your education,” Heilman said. “That’s my message, and it’s a simple one, but it’s a challenge, gentlemen. What you make of it, is up to you.”