Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, S.D. — Each inmate at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield has one common goal: to serve his time and return to life outside of the prison gates.
The potential success or failure of that return to normal life hinges on being able to become a productive member of society where they can support their families and not return to crime.
According to associate warden Rebecca Schieffer and deputy warden Jennifer Stanwick-Klimek, one key component to that success is education.
“For most of our population, that is not saying they are working on a college education. It’s not a realistic goal,” Stanwick-Klimek told the Yankton Press and Dakotan. “Our obligation is to give them a set of skills to be successful. For the majority of our inmates, that means working toward their GED.”
She added that inmates come to the prison with every level of education, from those who can’t read to advanced college degrees. The goal of the GED program at Mike Durfee is to give the inmates a working set of skills that will help them function after prison.
“They may get out of prison with $20 in their pocket,” she explained. “They need to be able to read and fill out a job application.”
Stanwick-Klimek said that each inmate is assessed when he enters the prison — in Springfield, the average length of incarceration is 18 months — and the goal is to get those that do not have a high school diploma or the equivalent into the GED program as soon as possible to improve their skills.
“We have the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels,” she said. “We work with math and science. We work with a core curriculum. We work for immediate results and specific areas that we’re working on. Our inmates are often here for a shorter time, so that’s how we set our goals. At Mike Durfee State Prison, we currently have 86 inmates who are working on their GED.”
The GED classes are offered five days a week.
Once an inmate is ready to take the GED test, Schieffer said it is then administered by a proctor, Cindy Bergman.
“Normally, these are administered electronically,” Stanwick-Klimek said. “But prisons are allowed to use paper-based GED tests because inmates aren’t allowed access to the Internet or email.”
The GED program is funded through the Department of Labor.
While both wardens said not everyone in the GED program will take the test — that determination is based on the level of their skills when they entered the program — the goal of helping them get to a functional reading level can be just as rewarding.
“We have had several inmates who couldn’t read or write,” Schieffer said. “We get them in the program and work with them. Any improvement will help improve their success rate once they leave prison. Even just being able to fill out a job application was beyond them before. They are completing their GED for job opportunities. Most vocational careers require a GED.”
Beyond the GED, the prison also has a strong vocational program.
“We offer welding that’s not accredited, but it is recognized by the AWS (American Welding Society),” Stanwick-Klimek said. “We also have the prison work program known as Pheasantland Industries. They make the governor’s houses, and their projects include the cabins at Lewis and Clark State Park near Yankton. We also offer vocational programs on car maintenance, landscape and horticulture. We operate a greenhouse on the prison grounds.”
With the limited spaces offered in the different vocational programs there is often a waiting list.
Stanwick-Klimek said that 96 prisoners per year are in the welding program, which requires a GED to participate.
The auto mechanics program has 12-15 inmates per class and runs in 10- to 12-week sessions.
Landscape horticulture is limited to 24 inmates per year.
“Once the prisoners complete the vocation training, they then move on to working for that shop,” she said. “Right now, welding is our highest demand class and there is a waiting list to get into that program. Because of that, there is a minimum GED requirement and prisoners must be within two years of leaving prison.”
Other opportunities include apprenticeship programs, the governor’s houses and construction technology. Also, the prison operates the only microfilm unit in the state.
“What it comes down to is, they are completing their GED for job opportunities,” Schieffer said. “When they are able to say, ‘I have a GED,’ it really opens doors. Those are doors they never had before.”