Lewis-Clark State College Holds Commencement Ceremony at Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino
Twenty-two students earned college degrees Thursday during a formal commencement ceremony held at Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino, marking another milestone for Lewis-Clark State College’s Prison Education Program — one of the state’s most closely watched efforts to reduce recidivism and prepare incarcerated individuals for productive lives after release.
The ceremony drew a notable gathering of Idaho education and corrections leadership, including LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton, Idaho State Board of Education President Kurt Liebich, Idaho Board of Correction Chair Dodds Hayden, and Idaho Department of Correction Director Bree Derrick, along with LCSC faculty, staff, administrators, fellow program students, and family members of the graduates.
Degrees Awarded Across Multiple Levels
Of the 22 graduates recognized Thursday, four received baccalaureate degrees and 18 received associate degrees. Baccalaureate recipients were Jorge Alexander Baird, Cory Ryan Campbell, Kevin Thorne, and Scott White. Associate degree recipients included Dustin Alfaro, Dakota Bailey, Lance Barnes, Travas Bickhart, Cole Clucas, Christopher Griffith, David Johns, Luke Johnson, Zachary Johnstone, Kenneth Jones, Christopher Kerins, Travis McCulloch, Gordon Mehltretter, Travis Mifflin, Kristoffer Moreno, Corey Reid, Dakota Turner, and Robert Wilde.
According to LCSC, the school expects to award a total of 40 degrees to prison education students in 2026. Additional ceremonies are scheduled for May 8, with two students graduating at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center and 16 at the Idaho State Correctional Center in Boise.
“LC State is proud to be Idaho’s leader in prison education,” President Pemberton said in a news release. “Our innovative program is important to individuals and Idaho as it reduces recidivism rates and helps meet workforce needs. Congratulations to our graduates and a hearty thank you to our small but mighty team for making this possible. I also thank President Liebich, Chair Hayden, and Idaho Department of Correction personnel for their support.”
Program Rooted in Workforce Preparation and Public Safety
LCSC currently enrolls nearly 200 students in its Prison Education Program across three correctional facilities statewide. Students have access to certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degree pathways in fields including business, communication, liberal arts, and social sciences — practical disciplines tied to real workforce needs across Idaho and the broader Northwest region.
The program’s potential to reduce recidivism carries significant weight from both a human and a fiscal standpoint. Taxpayers bear the cost of incarceration — Idaho’s Department of Correction budget runs into the hundreds of millions annually — and programs that demonstrably lower reoffending rates offer a return on that government spending in the form of fewer repeat incarcerations and more tax-contributing citizens.
LCSC was the first Idaho institution to gain official Prison Education Program approval. The college initially began admitting incarcerated students to in-person classes in Orofino in 2022 under the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Experiment, a federal initiative designed to expand access to higher education for incarcerated individuals. With full Prison Education Program approval secured, students are now eligible to apply for and receive federal Pell grants to fund their coursework.
The combination of federal grant access and a structured academic curriculum has allowed LCSC to scale the program meaningfully — from its Orofino roots to facilities in Boise and Pocatello — reflecting a model that balances institutional accountability with practical paths toward rehabilitation.
In related coverage of public safety and justice matters across the region, a Lewiston woman was recently sentenced for her role in a local overdose death, while Idaho State Police have sought public assistance in investigating a crash in Lewiston — both underscoring the ongoing challenges facing law enforcement and courts across Nez Perce County.
What Comes Next
LCSC’s Prison Education Program commencement season continues on May 8, when additional graduates will be honored at ceremonies in Pocatello and Boise. With nearly 200 students currently enrolled across three facilities, the program shows no sign of slowing. College officials have not publicly announced expansion plans beyond the current three locations, but the growing enrollment figures and statewide recognition position LCSC to remain Idaho’s primary institution for prison-based higher education for the foreseeable future.