Through an inmate fundraiser, incarcerated veterans at the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City made it possible for 15 inmates to attend college classes.
The fundraiser was a barbecue hosted by the Veteran’s Integration Program participants and staff from the Western Nevada College, and was held on Memorial Day in May.
Incarcerated veterans and staff organized the barbecue, cooked steaks and offered the specially priced lunches to the inmates ultimately raising over $4,000. All the proceeds will be used to offer inmates, some of which are veterans themselves, the opportunity to take college classes through Western Nevada College.
On Aug. 31, the ceremonial check was handed from Warm Springs Warden Harold Wickham to Kevin Burns, director of the Veterans Resource Center at the Western Nevada College.
Inmates had to apply to be accepted into the college courses, which are taught on site at the prison and lead to a two-year associate’s degree if completed. Each applicant was required to pen an essay, which were then reviewed by Western Nevada College administrators and 15 inmates were chosen. The first classes offered are sociology, business math and U.S. history and will be taught through the fall semester.
