Behind bars, 27 Colorado women graduate from program aimed at breaking cycle of incarceration
By Brian Maass
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PUEBLO, Colorado (KCNC) — The graduates wore caps and gowns. Families filled the gym. There were nervous smiles, hugs and cheers as names were called.
But this was no ordinary graduation.
The ceremony took place last week inside La Vista Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Pueblo, where 27 incarcerated women celebrated completing an eight-month program designed to prepare them for life beyond prison.
For Melissa Anderson, who was sentenced to prison for theft, the milestone represents a chance to build a different future.
“This is not a place we want to end up again,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the program, called the Breakthrough Challenge, taught her practical skills she expects to use when she is released, including how to apply for jobs, interview with prospective employers and present herself professionally.
“Getting out of here looking forward to the future — a lot of things I’ve learned in here will be beneficial in the future,” she said.
Her daughters and grandson attended the graduation, celebrating a moment Anderson hopes will mark the beginning of a new chapter.
Breakthrough, a Colorado nonprofit , operates educational programs inside state correctional facilities. Its flagship course, The Challenge, combines career readiness, personal development, reentry planning and entrepreneurship. Participants work on communication and decision-making skills, establish long-term goals and collaborate on business plans.
The premise is straightforward: preparing someone to succeed after prison should begin before that person is released.
The organization has expanded to five Colorado correctional facilities, and has served hundreds of inmates.
For Kaile Stevens, who has been incarcerated in theft cases, and has gone through the Breakthrough curriculum, the experience has been transformative.
“I know it’s a prison program, but it’s so impactful and it changes the course of these women’s lives. It’s extremely important,” Stevens said.
She said the opportunity extends beyond finding a job or earning a paycheck.
“We have the opportunity to be successful when we step out of here, but to be impactful on the society we once harmed,” Stevens said.
That emphasis on accountability and reintegration is central to Breakthrough’s approach.
The goal is to help participants navigate the practical challenges of returning to society — challenges that can include finding work, securing housing and rebuilding relationships while adjusting to life outside prison.
Stacey Putka, Breakthrough’s co-founder, says the combination of preparation inside prison and support after release is intended to reduce the likelihood that participants return to incarceration.
“So our program gives them the opportunity to plan and then practice before they ever come home,” Putka said.
Measuring success
Breakthrough reports significantly lower recidivism among its participants than among the broader prison population. Putka cited a recidivism rate of about 5% for the program, compared with rates of 30% to 45% for inmates who do not participate. Putka estimates the reduction in recidivism attributable to the program has saved Colorado taxpayers 24 million dollars.
A different future
For Anderson and her classmates, the numbers were secondary to the achievement they celebrated inside La Vista.
As women embraced one another after the ceremony, one graduate told another, “I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I did it.”
Another offered an encouraging vision of what might come next: “You are now a CEO, entrepreneur, whatever else you want to be.”
For the women graduating last week, the ceremony marked the completion of an intensive course — and the beginning of the next challenge: putting what they learned into practice.
Their success will ultimately be measured not just by a graduation ceremony, but by what happens when they return to their families, and their communities.
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