A graduation ceremony inside an Illinois prison marked a big milestone for 10 incarcerated students this week.

The men received Bachelor of Arts degrees through the Augustana College Prison Education Program during a commencement ceremony at East Moline Correctional Center on Thursday, May 28, according to local ABC affiliate WQAD.

Family members, faculty and fellow students attended the ceremony. WQAD reported the graduating class was more than double the size of the program’s first graduating class in 2025.

Justin Dismuke, the class speaker, said the moment felt hard to believe.

“Graduating today is just so surreal,” Dismuke told WQAD. “Like, I didn’t expect 20 years ago that I would be here in this moment, with family and friends, being celebrated like this. So it’s just surreal.”

He said having loved ones there made the day even more meaningful.

“I wouldn’t be here today without them, because they’ve been my support, especially my mother and my auntie, they’ve been my rock bed for all these years,” Dismuke said. “My father always telling me that I’m better than the number attached to my name.”

Dismuke told WQAD he hopes to use his degree to pursue youth outreach, community awareness and violence prevention work.

His parents, Kevin and Veda Dismuke, were at the ceremony.

“It’s kind of what we had wished for. To see him be able to do this is great,” his father told WQAD.

His mother said she is looking forward to his release.

“Be able to hug him once he leaves here without having to walk through gates or metal detectors,” she said. “I think that would be the highlight for me.”

Graduate Maurice Jones said earning his degree gave him a chance to show his family what he can do.

“This is my second opportunity to show my family that I can do this,” Jones said. “We want to be able to contribute to our communities, and this means a lot.”

Jones said one of the most meaningful parts of the ceremony was having his son, Makhel, there.

“I have my son here today, and he was able to see his father in a different light,” Jones said.

Ladrina Wilson, a member of Augustana College’s Board of Trustees, said the ceremony showed what education can do.

“Talent doesn’t discriminate,” Wilson said. “Sometimes our circumstances are different, but this is proof that there’s talent all around us.”

According to the program’s website, the Augustana Prison Education Program is a full-time BA degree program, and more than 40 men were enrolled during the 2025-2026 school year.

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