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Inmates Don Cap And Gown

Chris Cozzone

Buried deep within the labyrinth of what is Bernalillo County's Metropolitan Detention Center is a small classroom. The pupil's are inmates of all ages. Today three of them graduated. 

Alan Pereya says never in his wildest dreams did he think he or his fellow pod-mates would ever earn a diploma. "We would have never thought that we would be wearing a cap and gown, who knew that you would graduate high school in jail?"

The graduates say that todays accomplishment is just a stepping stone, and that once they get released, they would like to go to college. "I didn't even know that jail had a school in here," says Pereya. "That's what gave me the biggest surprise, is just being here and actually knowing that you could get a high school diploma, has taught me a lot to mature, to grow, that's why I hope that more inmates would go to this school."

To participate in the program, you must be drug-free, with no recent disciplinary action or visits to the psych facility.