Marking a monumental milestone in state correctional education, the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) and the University of Wyoming (UW) celebrated the historic graduation of the very first cohort of students from the Wyoming Women’s Center (WWC). Thursday, Aug 20, 2026, with their family, friends, faculty and staff present, six accomplished scholars officially received their Bachelor of Arts degrees in General Studies.
This commencement ceremony represents the culmination of an initiative launched in the fall of 2022, when the Wyoming Pathways from Prison (WPfP) program was accepted into the U.S. Department of Education’s Experimental Sites Initiative and the Second Chance Pell Initiative. Through this trans-disciplinary collaborative, the cohort completed a rigorous four-year academic curriculum.
The ceremony featured powerful remarks from several state and academic leaders. Dr. Robert Colter, Executive Director of WPfP, welcomed attendees, followed by the keynote address from Dr. Jennifer Lackey, Founding Director of the Northwestern Prison Education Program at Northwestern University. Graduate Taylor Nicks spoke on behalf of the Class of 2026, exemplifying the outstanding scholastic dedication, resilience, and intellectual curiosity of the cohort. WDOC Director Daniel Shannon provided remarks on behalf of the agency.
“We are extremely proud of our staff, University of Wyoming instructors, and the graduates,” said Director Shannon. “We were able to change lives and make our communities safer.”
Research heavily supports the profound impacts of postsecondary prison education, which has been shown to reduce recidivism rates by up to 43%. Beyond improving public safety and expanding employment opportunities for returning citizens, prison education proves highly cost-effective, saving taxpayers $4 to $5 in re-incarceration costs for every dollar spent.
The graduates who earned their Bachelor of Arts degrees include Scharay-Drenaena Burnett, Amy Doerr, Lorrie Hood, Paulette Iliff, Taylor Nicks, and Kelly Turner (Hoover). Following this successful inaugural graduation, WPfP and WDOC continue to advance their shared mission, with a second cohort of students already underway at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution as well as two new cohorts of students who will begin their higher education journey this fall at the WWC and, tentatively, next spring at the Wyoming State Penitentiary.