16 honored for education behind bars at Anamosa State Penitentiary

ANAMOSA - There may not be many reasons for celebration within the walls of a prison, but Wednesday, 16 men of Anamosa State Penitentiary were in good spirits as they received recognition for their commitment to enhancing their education.

The men who appeared at the ceremony were part of the latest class of graduates from the Kirkwood Community College High School Equivalency Test and the Anamosa State Prison Apprenticeship Program.

A total of 26 inmates passed through the programs this year, although not all appeared at the ceremony.

Ronald 'RJ” Dilley, 31, was one of those graduates receiving his HiSET certificate. Two years into a mandatory 35-year sentence for second-degree murder, Dilley said he chose to enter the program to better himself.

'It was just an accomplishment that I felt I needed to get. I made some bad choices and ended up here,” he said after the ceremony, extending extra praise to Kirkwood instructor Patricia Bammert. 'I felt it was a good thing to get.”

Dilley said he plans to continue his education by entering a welding apprenticeship program.

Several friends and family members of inmates attended the ceremony, to add to the ongoing support they have been providing their loved ones behind bars.

When the ceremony ended, the crowd burst into applause and cheers.

'These are cause for celebration. ... This is something positive in a world that isn't always positive,” Anamosa State Penitentiary Warden William Sperfslage said.

The certificates are made possible through a collaborative effort between Kirkwood Community College and the administrations of the Anamosa prison and Iowa Department of Corrections. The program is designed to better prepare inmates for gainful and fulfilling employment after release.

Through the program, Kirkwood provides state-certified teachers to administer tests in the prison, which houses roughly 1,100 men.

'I think I can speak for staff that, in our opinion, when a person sets out to increase their chances in life, this document is one of the most important to have, this certification,” said Kim Becicka, vice president of Continuing Education and Training Services with Kirkwood.

Christopher McCoy, one of the latest graduates of the apprenticeship program, said his involvement in learning cabinet making is a positive moment in an often negative setting.

'My journey begins with me making some bad choices, bad choices that led me to be in a situation that landed me behind these walls,” he said.

Turning to his fellow inmates who had received their high school equivalency certificates, he encouraged them to continue education into apprenticeship as well.

'You now have the knowledge and ability to do something more with yourself, but it is completely up to you to make that happen,” he said.