Sporting caps and gowns and huge smiles, 13 mostly teary-eyed women earned GED certificates at South Boise Women’s Correctional Center’s spring graduation in March.

At least 40 incarcerated women attended, a mix of prison friends and GED-seekers, who applauded the graduates as frequently and loudly as they could.

SBWCC Warden Dagoberto Martinez said, “Growth comes when we choose to do things that are uncomfortable, when we lean into what’s hard. Today isn’t just about what you achieve, it’s about who you’re becoming.” 

Strung lights, loud music, balloons, streamers and cake added to the atmosphere in the education building at SBWCC.

The correctional center houses 300 incarcerated females who serve six-to-nine months in “retained jurisdiction,” an interim between freedom and a prison sentence. Following a period of treatment and programming, judges determine if the women will be released into the community on probation or be sentenced to prison. Their crimes are usually non-violent felonies that range from drug-related offenses to property crimes or DUIs.

The 13 graduates had a mix of career goals, going to trade schools to study cosmetology or hygienist, or college to study engineering.

Graduate Shoshanna “Reggie” Norton, 27, has been trying to get their GED since they dropped out of high school their freshman year after having a baby. 

 “I’m really proud of myself,” Norton said. To get their GED, Norton had to pass four sections — English, math, science, and social studies. The center covers the $26 fee for each test.

Norton struggles with a learning disability called dyscalculia (a math-related learning disability) and became discouraged after they did not pass the GED math section on the first try. 

Adult Basic Education instructor Sherry Carr says math is the trickiest subject, and students always ask the classic question, “when are we going to use this?” She tells them, “in the process of learning how to do hard math problems, you’re learning to be resilient. You’re learning not to quit when things get hard.” 

Norton says others in the prison can get discouraged, especially if they fail a section and have to wait the mandatory 60 days to retake the tests. “I felt that way a lot — overwhelmed, discouraged. But ultimately, I did it.” 

Inspired by a Bill Nye masterclass, Norton hopes to attend college upon release and “make Bill Nye proud” by studying how to invest in alternative fuels. 

While GEDs open career opportunities, they can also change the lives of graduates still in prison. Carr recalled a student who came to class saying, “Ms. Carr, I was on the phone with my son last night, and I helped him with fractions. And he said, ‘Mom, you’re so smart!’” 

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