MORGAN COUNTY, Tenn. — Eight men in Morgan County have achieved something no other Tennessean has before them: They've been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society while serving out their prison sentence.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said eight inmates at the Morgan County Correctional Complex were recently inducted into PTK after posting high GPAs during their studies at Roane State Community College.
They are the first inmates from Tennessee to be inducted, TDOT said. The men had to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA to be eligible, and TDOC said at least one of them had a perfect 4.0 GPA.
All eight are working toward a degree in general studies and are on their way to graduating in December 2023.
“We are incredibly proud of these students and their achievements,” said Chris Whaley, President of Roane State Community College. “This is an incredible accomplishment and should serve as validation for them and the work they have put into their education.”
In Aug. 2019, the Tennessee Higher Education in Prison Initiative began partnering with Roane State Community College to start an associate degree program at the Wartburg prison. Progress toward the degree is able to be transferred to any four-year school in Tennessee.
TDOC said it offers 16 college degree programs at corrections facilities across the state.
“This is what we work towards every day with the partnerships and programs we have in place. We want to provide opportunities for offenders to change the trajectory of their lives. The eight men we honored today have done just that,” said Mike Parris, the warden at MCCX.