‘I made a promise to myself’: How higher education is transforming lives in Wyoming prisons
On a sunny spring day at the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk, six students gathered in a fluorescent-lit room to present their final projects. A banner from the University of Wyoming with a cowboy on a bucking bronc adorned the far wall. Rob Colter, a philosophy professor, led the class in a discussion about freedom, drawing inspiration from metal music.
Taylor Nicks, one of the students, was inspired to create a festival called "Mo’ Clit in the Pit" to empower women in the metal community. The Wyoming Pathways from Prison program, which offers UW bachelor's degrees to inmates, was chosen in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the Second Chance Pell Experiment, providing extra funding for the program.
The program has been shown to decrease the likelihood of recidivism and increase employment opportunities for inmates upon release. For the six students in the final cohort, the program offered more than just a path to employment; it provided a sense of purpose and a way to set an example for their children and peers.
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