Whitley inmates earn degrees

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

A small ceremony was held at the Whitley County Detention Center Friday for a handful of inmates making academic accomplishments — three inmates received their General Equivalency Diplomas and four received Kentucky Employability Certificates.

For adult education instructor Bob Van Keuren, it was the largest “graduation ceremony” in his four years of teaching at the Whitley County jail.

At age 75, Van Keuren still spends five days a week tutoring students at the jail. He spent 25 years in the Navy and pastored a church in California for 18 years before moving to Whitley County, where his son-in-law was pastoring a church.

Van Keuren officiated over his daughter’s wedding at his son-in-law’s church, New Zion Baptist.

“He’s a retired military master chief from the Navy and they relate to him,” said Jailer Ken Mobley. “He’s firm and strict and if they want to learn, he’ll let them stay in there and learn... He’s here every day, and if they clown around in the classroom and don’t want to learn, he’ll send them back in the cell. He keeps a strict classroom, and they learn a lot. ... those who stay in there have respect for him and he has respect for them wanting to better themselves.”

The program is part of the Whitley County Adult Education system and its funding is in part determined by the number of students who show skills gains on standardized tests, and how many earn General Equivalency Diplomas and Kentucky Employability Certificates.

“We are funded by state and federal funding and they want to see some bang for their buck,” Van Keuren said.

So Van Keuren doesn’t waste time with inmates who want to goof off — those who talk during class or don’t mind their manners are immediately ejected.

“More important than academics is the character development,” he said. “Academics won’t keep you out of jail, but character will.”

Van Keuren has an average class size of 14-15 students. They are often seated at computers, working with a Skills Bank program designed to help each inmate at his own pace.

Van Keuren estimated that he’s helped close to 50 Whitley County inmates obtain a GED and another 30 obtain a KEC. The Kentucky Employability Certificate is a step above a GED, and employers may be more willing to forgive a felony conviction if the applicant has one. The KEC can take anywhere from 30-50 additional hours of study to attain, Van Keuren said.

“We have a young man that came through here, got his GED here, left here, went over to the main (adult education) learning center where I am sometimes in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, came over and got his KEC, and went to work immediately for Williamsburg Plastics. So there are job opportunities for these men when they leave this facility if they have done something with their education like this,” Van Keuren said.

Van Keuren writes resumes, recommendation letters and prints up business cards for his former students — anything to help them find a job and stay on track.

“If they fail to get employment, many times they slide back because they feel hopeless, and usually the only way they know to make money is to sell drugs,” he said. “... Some of them do get jobs. I ran into a guy the other day, he was my student about a year and a half ago, he said ‘I’m doing roofing, I love it.’ He had his arm around his wife and I thought, ‘how great. I’m so happy for him.’”

Jason LaFountain, 21, has been incarcerated for the past several months and said he started taking Van Keuren’s classes because, “I’m trying to better myself.”

The Laurel County native made it to the 11th grade, he said, before dropping out.

He was arrested in June and charged with the theft of two catalytic converters from cars parked at a London nursing home, as well as the theft of 27 oxygen tanks and the arson of a vehicle.

“It’s real easy to just lay there and let time go by and not want to do nothing,” LaFountain said of life behind bars. “I see it all the time, but I’m keeping myself going, and this helps drive me.”

Under Van Keuren’s guidance, LaFountain was able to earn a KEC.

“If I would have taken it before I was coming to these classes, there’s no way I would have done it, but after I did these classes, it helped me out a lot,” LaFountain said.

He’s prepared for the GED test, but is waiting to take it until after his sentencing, likely in December, when he will become a state inmate. State prisoners get 60 days knocked off their sentences if they obtain a GED while incarcerated.

“Right now, I just come to keep myself refreshed, and help Mr. Van Keuren with anything he needs,” LaFountain said. “After I get my GED, I’m also going to take the ACT and I’m going to enroll in college, try to start a business.”

Inmates can go as far as taking the ACT while in jail — LaFountain expects about three years of imprisonment ahead of him.

When he gets out, he may look for work in car repair. And, he says he won’t be stealing anything, either.

“I learned my lesson,” he said.