Search | Menu Incarcerated students seize opportunities in Madison College partnership program
In an unlikely place of transformation, Madison College student Robert Zapata turned lemons into lemonade.
He enrolled in Madison College from prison, hoping to use his sentence to acquire new skills and secure a better job. As a 60-year-old who had been climbing cell phone towers up to 500 feet in the air, this work no longer seemed appealing. “I had to figure out another career where I could keep my feet on the ground,” Zapata said.
Zapata, along with five other residents from Thompson and Oregon Correctional Centers, graduated with diplomas in hand during a small ceremony at the Truax campus on Dec. 17. With his girlfriend cheering him on, Zapata stood at the podium wearing a blue Madison College graduation gown and a black cap with tassels. “May you continue to learn, grow, and positively impact the world, knowing that you have the power to shape your destiny,” he told his fellow graduates.
The men earned two technical diplomas, completing college credits in Electrical Maintenance and Basic Industrial Power through a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW). Madison College provides training and education, DOC covers instruction costs, and the WDBSCW connects graduates with employers.
Workforce development collaboration
“We are proud to collaborate with Madison College and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to provide these individuals with valuable skills and education,” shared Seth Lentz, Executive Director for the WDBSCW. “Robert Zapata's journey highlights the power of education and resilience. We look forward to supporting these graduates as they start their new careers.”
Since 2021, the partnership has seen 106 successful graduates from the Electrical Maintenance programs. Students are transported from two local correctional centers to Madison College's Truax campus in one academy. Another academy is at Oakhill Correctional Institution, which has a higher security level, and residents cannot leave the institution for educational purposes. In collaboration with the institution, an older tornado shelter in the school basement was converted into a functional instructional space, with the college supplying the necessary equipment. Madison College faculty travel to the site Monday-Friday to provide face-to-face instruction.
A job waiting on the outside
Madison College is a premier 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. Education helps reduce the likelihood of returning to prison by creating opportunities for employment and rehabilitation, which interrupts destructive behaviors.
Kevin Grahn, Manager of Madison College Center for Reentry Education, emphasizes the power of education for individuals to lead successful lives when released.
“These students face many challenges when returning to their communities,” Grahn says. “Success is defined in many ways and is unique to each justice-impacted individual. Securing a livable wage job provides the foundation to meet basic human needs such as stable housing, food, and the ability to fulfill financial obligations that may be court-ordered. These programs offer participants the chance to learn valuable skills in a high-demand field with excellent wages and advancement opportunities.”
Since 2021, students have saved an estimated $250,000 in tuition by participating in this program. They average a 3.67 GPA and have found employment after graduation while still incarcerated with DOC work release employers or upon release in the community.
Madison College instructor Paul Harrison, who teaches in the program, believes it’s a win-win for students and employers.
“This morning, there were 300 openings for industrial maintenance workers. We graduated students today, but we need more people,” Harrison says. “It’s a hands-on job that allows people to get hired more easily than in the computer skills industries. Many of our incarcerated students are hired before release, which is a double benefit.”
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 was selected by the Department of Education in 2020 to become a Second Chance Pell (SCP) college. This opportunity allows incarcerated students to access federal Pell Grants to cover tuition and fees for eligible programs. Madison College currently offers a technical diploma and an associate degree in Small Business Entrepreneurship at eight DOC institutions across the state.
Harrison and other instructors are often in awe of their students, including some who earn academic honors. “These guys have some skills; they push the class and work harder because this is their second chance,” Harrison says. “I tell students that they can take away your job, your house, and even your family, but they can’t take away your knowledge.”
Zapata expects to be released in October 2025 and hopes to secure a position in industrial maintenance, thanks to the hard work he invested at Madison College. “I would definitely tell others in my situation to take advantage of these opportunities, no matter what age you are. I’m 60, and you can do it; it’s a career change, a career choice,” he advises.
To learn more about Madison College’s Center for ReEntry Education program, contact Kevin Grahn at kgrahn@madisoncollege.edu
