(99.9 KTDY) – At a recent ceremony, 14 women who are incarcerated in the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women were able to earn an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Service from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.
Bible College Graduation Inside the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
This program continues to help women earn their degrees while incarcerated, and those degrees will be in their hands upon release from LCIW in St. Gabriel. Upon graduation, the women who earn these degrees will be able to put them to work in their communities by helping others.
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Career Paths After Release from Prison for Bible College Graduates
These women work hard to earn a four-year degree, and they will bring forth their job skills for future endeavors, including the following:
- Chaplains
- Pastors
- Nonprofit leaders
- Further academic study
- Missionaries
The Baptist Press reports that the first graduating class of incarcerated women walked across the stage in 2016. This most recent commencement ceremony was held on Monday, January 12.
These women toughed it out as they worked to complete their degrees through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the building of a new facility.
Leadership and Character Development Inside Louisiana Prison College Programs
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women Warden Kristen Thomas says of these women and their educational process,
The education they received goes far beyond academics, as it shapes their character and equips them to be servant leaders, positive influences both inside the facility and when they return to their communities…