Pomp out of bad circumstances at Orofino prison

OROFINO - Prison inmate Dwain Whitaker began his education behind bars at a third-grade level.

Two years later, he has earned the highest scores his instructor has seen on the General Educational Development certificate.

Fourteen GED recipients were recognized at the prison's Robert Janss School Thursday, along with nine others who completed a literacy program in the past year.

Before the ceremony, Whitaker talked about the aptitude for learning he has discovered at the Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino.

"I love math, and I'm reading like crazy," he said. "I'm reading all of the classics now."

His favorite so far, he said, is "Oliver Twist."

He'd love to earn a degree someday, Whitaker said, but with at least 15 years remaining in prison and no way to pay for it while he's there, college is a distant goal.

Whitaker's sentences for lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor younger than 16 and sexual abuse of a minor younger than 16 mean he won't be eligible for parole until 2029.

Inmates can attend classes at the school inside the penitentiary for up to three hours a day, with an additional hour of library time, instructor Danielle Hardy said. Classes include GED preparation, vocational reading and math, welding and computer maintenance.

Under a new, computer-based GED program that Hardy said is more rigorous than past tests, this year's graduating class was about half the usual number.

It took a while to get up and running with the new system, Hardy said, in part because the testing company had to create a special version for correctional institutions since inmates are not allowed online.

Computer skills are essential for success in many fields, as well as for passing the GED, she said, so students have access to computer labs on an internal network - but no Internet access.

After graduating, inmates can remain involved with the school by taking jobs assisting instructors.

Tony Chacartegui, for example, works as a clerk.

"So I help other people get their GEDs," Chacartegui said.

Chacartegui, who is serving time for drug trafficking and delivery of a controlled substance, said he's taking college correspondence courses and hopes to earn an engineering degree when he gets out. He'll be eligible for parole in 2019.

The prison school, he said, has given him reason to believe that's possible.

"Really, a lot of us don't come in here with a lot of success under our belts," he said. "We're afraid of failure."

GED graduate Michael Espinosa, who will be eligible for parole next year, hopes to become a master welder.

When he was sentenced to prison for robbery, Espinosa had a ninth-grade education. After nine months of studying at the prison school, he passed the GED earlier this month.

"I got to see what actually happens when I apply myself," he said. "Now I wonder what else I can do."

Seeing her students succeed in the classroom and knowing that can help prevent them from returning is rewarding, Hardy said.

"Education is a key factor to reduce recidivism," she said. "My goal is when they get out of here they have a living wage."

Warden Terema Carlin praised the school's staff for helping inmates reach that goal.

"One of the biggest risks is when a person gets out of prison and can't find work that they can live on," Carlin said.

Unlike the violent prisons often depicted on TV and in movies, Hardy said the atmosphere at her workplace is mostly positive.

"It's the safest school you'll ever work in," she said. "They are very respectful."

Inmates who wish to pursue a college education must fund themselves or rely on family or the generosity of others, Hardy said. Student loans are not available to them.

A scholarship fund started last year, the ICIO Memorial Scholarship, pays for two incarcerated students to take a college class, she said.

Contributions to the scholarship fund can be sent to Clearwater Community Foundation, Attn: ICIO Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1525, Orofino, ID 83544.

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Stone may be contacted at mstone@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2244. Follow her on Twitter @MarysSchoolNews.