Milan Area Schools is making a difference at the Federal Prison

Milan Area Schools has the unique distinction of being the only high school in a federal prison helping inmates earn a full high school diploma.

In describing the program to the Milan Area Schools (MAS) Board of Education, Carrie Mink, the school district’s program coordinator for the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Milan, noted a visit last year to the community by a group from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Mink said they were impressed with the program and how it’s helping people re-enter society with helpful skills.

After the visit, the Bureau of Prisons posted a message about it. They said Milan’s program is unique to the Bureau of Prisons as it is the only high school in a federal prison in the U.S.

Mink, along with Connie Cox, the director of Milan Community Education, went before the school board in September to talk about their programs. At the Oct. 29 school board meeting, the MAS school board approved another list of FCI graduates.

The FCI program began in 1977 with two students. It’s a partnership with the FCI in Milan. The federal prison in Milan is for male offenders and has a total of 1,548 inmates.

FCI students can take courses in life skills, traditional academics, fine arts and industrial arts. It’s led by four certified Milan teachers with the graduates receiving the same diploma as a graduating senior from Milan High School.

The program is focused on workforce development. Current coursework is based off the Michigan Merit Curriculum. In addition to earning a diploma, Mink said students are prepared for high level vocational training, such as Auto VT or continuation of their educational studies in the Jackson College Associate Degree program that’s offered on site.

Now in 2025, the program has over 900 graduates with 13 graduating last year. Mink said they held another graduation ceremony on Nov. 5, inside the prison on East Arkona Road. Family members were in attendance. Mink said it’s a very emotional ceremony.

She said the program has a ripple effect in that helping the inmates graduate in turn helps the community.

Eli Savit, the Prosecuting Attorney of Washtenaw County, was the commencement speaker at the recent ceremony. He said his message hit upon the significance of their achievement. He posted about this on social media.

“My message to the grads? Today marks a step forward. You will always be a high school grad. Nobody can ever take that away from you. And it’s the first step towards a life defined not by what brought you to Milan—but by what you’ve done thereafter,” Savit said.

photo: Eli Savit, Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney, posted this photo on his Instagram when he attended the FCI Milan graduation.