November 27th 2023.
On Thursday, November 2, 2023, history was made at the Northwest Correctional Complex as six men proudly marched across the stage to receive their Bachelor of Science in Business degree from Lane College. This remarkable achievement marks the first time any inmate at the facility has earned a bachelor's degree and the first time in the state of Tennessee that a degree from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was awarded to an incarcerated person.
The graduates' incredible journey was made possible thanks to the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) and their educational partners Lane College and the Tennessee Department of Correction. The six men were honored for their fortitude and commitment, setting an example for others to follow and showing the indomitable spirit of resilience that those behind the wall possess when given the opportunity to succeed.
Dr. Laura Ferguson-Mimms, Executive Director of THEI, expressed her joy on the occasion: "They are coming home. We are breaking the cycle of recidivism that tells us that 47% will return to incarceration if we continue to do exactly what we have always done. When we introduce post-secondary educational options while the individual is incarcerated, we reduce the risk of recidivism by nearly half."
At the graduation ceremony, Dr. Logan Hampton, President of Lane College, shared his thoughts on the partnership between Lane and THEI. "Lane College and THEI have been a natural fit. Lane is deeply committed to the transformative liberal arts education, and Lane College has a history of helping students excel despite challenging environments and backgrounds. The Lane faculty were confident they could ensure the full integrity of college access for incarcerated students, and they have. The Lane/THEI partnership has been an overwhelming success!"
Richard Donnell, Sr., Senior Advisor to the President, further emphasized the importance of Lane College's commitment to the future of higher education. "Lane College has an academic focus on tomorrow, not yesterday, and helping students to realize the power of their potential has been a hallmark of Lane College since 1882. We continue to be excited about the partnership with THEI, and we are confident in Lane’s ability to help students of diverse backgrounds earn their college degrees."
Daryll Coleman, Vice President for Academic Affairs, concluded the ceremony with his remarks: "The Lane College faculty have aggressively researched the best behind-the-wall academic programs in the nation and developed a rigorous program that maintains the full integrity of college access while preparing incarcerated students with a career-ready and transformative liberal arts education. Lane is grateful for our amazing faculty and their insistence that we develop a best-in-class program to reach incarcerated scholars."
The six graduates of Northwest Correctional Complex have made history, and their success will provide hope and inspiration to many more to come. Through the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative and Lane College, these individuals have been given an opportunity to succeed, and that is surely something to celebrate.
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