DOC/Helena College celebrate Prison Education Program (PEP) graduates at MSP

• Alexandria Klapmeier
• May 06 2024

It was time to turn the tassel again at Montana State Prison as six inmate students celebrated graduating from Helena College’s automotive technology program on May 6.

This was the second class of students graduating from the program with a Certificate of Applied Science.

“With these certificates, offenders will have a foot up in the job market as they work on reintegrating into our Montana communities,” DOC Rehabilitation and Programs Chief Scott Eychner said. “We’re all happy to celebrate their accomplishments and grateful for our partnership with Helena College.”

Students at MSP paid for the course with help from the Prison Education Program, formerly the Second Chance Pell Grant program. Pell Grants are a form of federal financial aid available to students with financial need, previously unavailable to incarcerated students. With the expansion of the program, the U.S. Department of Education selected Helena College, Great Falls College, Montana State University Billings, and Dawson Community College to provide postsecondary instruction to incarcerated students through the DOC.

Throughout the course, students did classroom lectures and hands-on learning at MSP. They also virtually attended classroom lectures using smart boards and other technology while the Montana Correctional Enterprises team assisted them with the hands-on portion of the program. 

“This class has been important to me because it has given me a formal education in a field I am passionate about,” MSP graduate Bryce Adams said. “I have worked on cars my whole life but never had any formal training. This course has given me the formal knowledge to be a professional technician. This class gives me a leg to stand on and possible employment that is not bottom of the barrel pay. This class ignited my desire to learn and continue future education. This class was important to me, and I could see myself doing this forever.”

Helena College Dean/CEO Sandra Bauman attended the graduation ceremony to present the certificates.

“All of us at Helena College are proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our second cohort of graduates from the Montana State Prison Automotive Maintenance program,” she said. “Their dedication to learning and their commitment to building a better future for themselves is truly inspiring. This program exemplifies our belief in the transformative power of education and equipping individuals with the skills they need for successful reentry into their communities.”