Varner Unit holds seminary graduation

LINCOLN COUNTY, Ark. - It's graduation weekend for colleges across this state, but one is a bit different and in some ways a bit more life-altering.

Seniors are preparing to cross the stage in their caps and gown and accept their diplomas. However, on Friday a different group of graduates reached that milestone. Instead of earning their degree in the classroom, they earned it behind bars.

Inside the Varner Unit in Lincoln County, a high-security state prison for men, some of Arkansas's most dangerous criminals are living out the rest of their days.

Andre Dunn is one of them.

“I am incarcerated for first-degree murder. I came to prison in November of 2006, and I am currently serving a life sentence,” Andre Dunn said.

However, instead of just doing time for a crime he committed, Dunn, along with 17 other inmates have committed themselves to an entirely different path in life.

On Friday, the Arkansas Department of Corrections Prison Seminary Program graduated its very first class. Eighteen inmates earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian studies.

“It gives me a sense of accomplishment. It makes m...