DEER LODGE, Mont. – Ten inmates at Montana State Prison recently completed a year-long web development program called “The Last Mile,” equipping them with valuable skills for life after release.
The Last Mile program focuses on technology training, aiming to provide inmates with expertise in coding, web development, and software engineering, as well as social skills necessary for high-demand jobs and stable lifestyles upon re-entering society.
“For a lot of folks, it just offers a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope,” said Travis Anderson, the Education Services Bureau Chief at the Montana Department of Corrections. “A lot of the students we have in our program don’t think that they have the skills to do this, and then they start going, and they find that they really do. It allows them to grow intellectually and as a person, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Among this year’s graduates is Jesse Harrison, who joined the program after being denied parole.
“I’ve been incarcerated for 13 years, so I didn’t even know how to program the brand-new watch that I bought off canteen,” Harrison said. “You learn how to build a website and launch into a server and use databases and all these crazy words that I didn’t even know what they were. But now, to know how all these things work together and put it on the internet, it’s pretty neat.”
Harrison says that his most significant achievement in the program was creating a website where former inmates can buy and sell cars.
However, he is most proud of setting an example for his children.
“If your kids can watch you graduate, then hopefully that gives them the drive or the ambition to graduate themselves,” Harrison said. “When I told them that I was going to be a part of this, that’s what they got most excited about was watching their dad graduate. That meant something to me.”
The Department of Corrections noted that The Last Mile also offers re-entry services like job interview assistance. National data indicates that 75% of The Last Mile graduates maintain employment post-release.
