Search | Menu Breaking barriers, building futures: Carpentry Academy graduates find a path forward
“College wasn’t an option for me,” Jeremiah Gould told the audience as he stood dressed in a blue Madison College cap and gown.
But Gould proved himself wrong, enrolling in the Madison College Carpentry Techniques Academy while incarcerated, taking a first step toward a different future.
Gould learned to build a house from walls to rafters. “I loved everything about the program,” he says.
Standing with his family after the Carpentry Techniques Academy Graduation Ceremony on July 15, Gould says another reason motivating him to complete the program.
“This is me breaking the generational curse,” he says. “Now I just want to make a difference and help kids, transforming boys and girls into kings and queens. I want to give back.”
Skills that build a future
Eight men graduated this summer from the program, earning two certificates in Constructions Essentials and Carpentry Techniques.
The initiative is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin and the Employment and Training Association.
Students are motivated by a purpose, learning news skill and creating a pathway to a career after incarceration.
“It is a lot of hands-on learning that will prepare them for jobs in a high-demand industry,” says Kevin Grahn, manager of Madison College Center for Reentry Education. “They are gaining the skills while they are incarcerated so they can get good-paying jobs when they get out and enter the workforce.”
Instructors say the men are well-prepared to find success in the commercial construction industry.
“They come to class committed to their work and with good attitudes—they were very hard workers,” says instructor Zach Dewerd. “Seeing that kind of dedication in these gentlemen was very inspiring.”
The students benefited from highly skilled instructors and a new 30,000-square-foot Construction & Remodeling Facility at Truax North built for hands-on learning and innovation, elevating training opportunities for future builders.
Madison College is a top training ground for students seeking successful trade careers, making it a logical choice for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to partner with the college to enhance the lives of incarcerated individuals.
Changing lives
Education helps reduce the likelihood of returning to prison by creating opportunities for employment and rehabilitation, which interrupts destructive behaviors. According to a 2013 meta-analysis by RAND, for every dollar spent on high-quality post-secondary education for justice-involved students, approximately $5 is saved in reincarceration costs, with recidivism rates reduced by 43%.
Madison College’s participation in the Second Chance Pell program made opportunities like Gould’s possible. Selected by the U.S. Department of Education in 2020, Madison College allows eligible incarcerated students to use federal Pell Grants to cover tuition and fees for approved programs.
The program gave Gould, a kid “from a rough neighborhood,” the opportunity to earn college credentials, gain confidence and develop job skills.
For Gould, the certificate represents more than a credential: it represents a new direction.
“It reminds me of that quote that says, ‘If you open a school, you close down a prison,’” Gould says. “I got the chance to change my story.”
