Women's Prison Program & Scholarship Fund

Reentry Employment Training

Reentry into society after incarceration is a big deal for prison inmates—especially women inmates. The challenges and issues they face are often overwhelming—leading many back to prison within a few years.

With nearly 1,000 inmates, the WCCW is the primary state prison for women in Washington State and houses women from every county. Some 40-45 inmates are released every month. The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor partners with the Department Of Corrections (DOC) to offer this hard-hitting, 6 week, comprehensive Reentry Employment Training Program to women incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) located in Gig Harbor. Team taught by Rotarians and inmates, nearly 700 women have graduated from the reentry course since its inception in 2013. Continuing education is one of the major deterrents impacting the recidivism of released prison inmates. Simply stated: Inmates who continue their education, either during or following incarceration, do not reoffend. In 2014 the Rotary Club of Gig Harbor created the Women’s Prison Scholarship Fund for women released from the WCCW. Continuing education scholarships include women still incarcerated to pursue correspondence or other training inside the prison, and those released to go back to school~college or trade/professional school. Numerous scholarships have been awarded to women attending a wide variety of institutions: UW, WSU, TCC, & numerous community colleges, Evergreen College, Gene Juarez Beauty School, and other colleges and universities.

Training and scholarships for inmates being released from Washington Correction Center for Women (Purdy Prison)

Continuing education is one of the major deterrents impacting the recidivism of released prison inmates. Simply stated: inmates who continue their education, either during or following incarceration, do not reoffend.

In 2014 the Rotary Club of Gig Harbor created the Women’s Prison Scholarship Endowment Fund for women being released from the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW).

We offer continuing education scholarships for women still incarcerated to pursue correspondence or other training inside the prison, and especially to those released and desiring to go back to school—college or trade/professional school. To date dozens of scholarships have been awarded to women attending a wide variety of institutions, including:

  • University of Washington
  • Tacoma Community College and numerous community colleges throughout the state
  • Evergreen College
  • Gene Juarez Beauty School
  • And many other higher learning institutions

Scholarships are not intended to cover the full cost of education, but to act as an incentive in support of their education.