By Bob Holmes
As a hallway door swung open, 10 men dressed in caps and gowns walked into a large, open room to the familiar strains of Pomp and Circumstance, played at every commencement ceremony. But visible beneath the hem of the gowns were the orange pant legs the men were used to wearing every day. The familiar orange worn by inmates in the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC).
In procession, they took their seats past family and friends who had gathered in the Visitation Room of the Kirkland Correctional Facility in Columbia for the annual December event. They represent the 16th cohort of the Columbia International University Prison Initiative, a ministry of CIU, in partnership with SCDC.
The Prison Initiative started in 2007 and includes two years of courses leading to an accredited Associate of Arts degree, designed to prepare inmates for ministry within the prison system as chaplain’s assistants. This 2025 commencement included two student-inmates who had advanced to bachelor degrees. Since its inception, 214 men and women have graduated from the program serving in 21 institutions with a recidivism rate among graduates of only 5%.
The commencement speaker was CIU science professor Dr. David DeWitt, who also serves as the dean of CIU’s College of Arts & Sciences. Quoting from Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” DeWitt reminded the graduates that the Apostle Paul wrote those words in prison.
“He was sharing the gospel with guards and his fellow prisoners,” DeWitt said. “His joy was not getting out of his situation, but it was rooted in Christ, and sharing the love of Jesus.
“Brothers, that means your joy is not limited by these walls, but like Paul you’re called to share the love of Jesus, and rejoicing when you do.”
After the ceremony, the graduates celebrated and hugged family members, as a group of local reporters assembled at the rear of the room to speak with prison officials and graduates.
Lisa Engram, SCDC deputy director of Programs Reentry and Rehabilitative Services called SCDC’s association with CIU “a wonderful partnership.”
“We appreciate Columbia International for continuing to partner with us and provide the service,” Engram said. “Without them we would not be able to touch as many people with Christian education as we do.”
Also meeting the media was one of the graduates (names are withheld) who praised the CIU professors who come to the prison to instruct them.
“They have done so much for us. It’s unbelievable,” the graduate began. “They work with you, they make sure you get the education you need. They spend a lot of time helping us. It’s just amazing to feel like a human being for just a few hours and not being treated like another number.”
And he was happy he could share the day with family.
“It’s amazing. My mother hasn’t stopped crying yet. It’s a very proud mama.”
The CIU Prison Initiative is entirely donor funded. For information on supporting the program, visit CIU’s Advancement page.
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