DOC's first computer coding class reaches halfway point

• Alexandria Klapmeier
• May 25 2023

What do a pizza store website, an app for an after-hours daycare, and a video game have in common? They're three of the 19 capstone projects created by students as part of The Last Mile coding program at Montana State Prison.
The capstone projects — completed in March — marked the halfway point of the year-long program.

"I would say it's challenging, but in a good manner," student Guadalupe Galicia said. "You're always learning. I love that the most. We work on our own a lot, and it's at our pace, but the staff from The Last Mile and the facilitator are very hands-on. They accommodate our needs. The first half has been good. I surprised myself because I didn't know anything about computers."

The Last Mile prepares incarcerated individuals for successful reentry through business and technology training. Students in the program learn different aspects of software development training in two, six-month sections. Initially, they learn web development fundamentals like HTML and Javascript, and in the second half, they learn Mongo Express React Node, or the server side of coding.

Classes started at MSP on Sept. 19, 2022.

For the capstone projects, students presented their projects to demonstrate their ability to use and develop technology in web development fundamentals, client-side programming, and Cascading Style Sheets. These projects were presented to their classmates, representatives from The Last Mile, and DOC staff members.

"To see where these students came in six months ago to where they're at today is remarkable," class facilitator Rodney Simpson said. "Not just in coding, but where they've come through their own work and work ethic and how they've developed and become a team."

The Last Mile is one of the newest DOC education programs offered through Montana Correctional Enterprises. After graduation from the program and leaving DOC supervision, the hope is for students to integrate back into their communities and find a job with a high-tech company.

Student Jerold Weller, who has spent most of his adult life in prison, said his inspiration for joining the program is his grandkids.

"My children have grown up without me. A long-distance dad if that's even a thing," Weller said. "My grandchildren have been born since I've been in here, and I have an opportunity to be there for them. And I don't want to fail my grandkids like I failed my children. So, this is giving me that opportunity. I believe that."

The students are set to graduate in September.