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DRAPER -- Over 350 inmates donned a cap and gown at the Utah Department of Corrections Tuesday morning and received their high school diplomas. For many, it's the first step in turning their lives around, and just the beginning of their education goals.
"I'm going to go to the University of Phoenix and get a scholarship and be a better mom," said Jacqueline Vides.
Vides is one of the inmates who graduated from South Park Academy, which is part of the Canyons School District. The school is funded by a grant from the Utah Legislature.
Each inmate had to complete all the requirements any high school student does, it just took these folks a little longer.
"When I was 15 years old, I was a single mother, a high school dropout and a drug addict," said Patricia Staley, who received the Student of the Year Award.
For many, enrolling in South Park has given them the confidence to return to society a better person.
"I wanted to do something with my life, and this was the best opportunity to start," said graduate Dawn Lewallen.
"We want to return them to society capable of doing their best and performing in society," said endorsed instructor Sharon Bateman. "We don't want to just warehouse them. We want them to have skills so they leave here good neighbors, good friends, good moms and dads."
Vides gets out in two months; she's already served six for distribution. She said she can't wait to show her three kids her diploma.
"I hope my kids learn from my mistakes and follow the right path," Vides said.
The average inmate only has about a fourth- to fifth-grade education. This year was the largest class to graduate since the program started in the early ‘70s.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
