Peru State College in Nebraska developed a program that not only serves as a critical workforce pipeline but also actively demonstrates the advantage of experiential learning.
Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI), located about 30 miles from Peru State College, was experiencing a shortage of correctional officers. In response, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) collaborated with Peru State College to create the Corrections Leadership Scholarship Program (CLSP), which is a Corrections Workforce Development Pathways (CWDP) partnership.
CLSP’s “learn-by-doing” pedagogical approach provides scholarships and paid internships to help students majoring in criminal justice gain real-world work experience at TSCI. It also includes academic coursework in flexible course formats. By doing so, traditional, nontraditional, transfer, and working students can receive hands-on training and gain knowledge of prison rules and regulations, preparing them to assume leadership roles as employees in NDCS.
The Methodology
The idea of CLSP emerged in 2021 from discussions about Nebraska’s career scholarship program between Gov. Pete Ricketts and Chancellor Paul Turman of the Nebraska State College System. (Ricketts is currently a U.S. senator and was first elected to Congress in 2023.)
Pointing to the correctional officer shortage issue at TCSI, then-Gov. Rickets asked if Peru State College, because of its close proximity to the facility, could help remedy this situation through a scholarship initiative. Turman worked closely with Peru State College leadership to help initiate the effort, bringing the request to the college and encouraging action. Two faculty members—both former TCSI employees—drafted the CLSP framework, which prioritized long-term workforce development while providing short-term relief for issues like staff overtime.
The structure of the program is as follows:
- Students attend Peru State College during their first year and then participate in a six-week Department of Corrections training program the following summer.
- Afterward, they participate in part-time internships at TSCI for the remaining six semesters of the program.
- Both on campus and online
- CLSP offers $12,500 per academic year in tuition, fees, books, room, and board, as well as a $2,500 housing allowance for the summer.
Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, these students are eligible to serve in sergeant or higher-level positions within NDCS, with a strong preference—but not a requirement—for employment at TCSI.
The success of CLSP is measured in the following ways:
- Enrollment growth: Tracking whether more students are enrolling in high-demand, high-skilled, high-wage programs, including corrections.
- Retention and graduation: Monitoring if students are staying enrolled and graduating, especially within the four-year funding window. Peru State College has seen a notable increase in four-year graduation rates, which programs like this help drive.
- Job placement: Reporting on the number of graduates being placed in jobs in Nebraska within a year of graduation.
- Voluntary career commitment: Tracking whether students choose to pursue a long-term career in corrections.
Stakeholders involved in establishing CLSP included Chancellor Turman of the Nebraska State College System, faculty from the criminal justice department and student support services personnel at Peru State College, leaders from NDCS, and key representatives from the governor’s office and Ricketts’ chief of staff.
The Impact
By building strong connections between academic learning and workforce needs, programs such as CLSP help graduates leave college better prepared, more competitive in the job market, and with a clearer path to meaningful employment. Students entering the correctional system through CWDP bring a different mindset shaped by their education and broader life experiences. They approach their work with a strong sense of professionalism and humanity, which stands out in a system where those qualities are not always the norm. CLSP also offers opportunities for students who might not have pursued a four-year degree or for individuals with military service or from high school programs such as Jobs for America’s Graduates. With the support of scholarships and paid, hands-on work experience, these students not only earn a bachelor’s degree but also gain immediate career traction.
Following is some recent CWDP data:
- Now in its fourth year, CWDP supports up to 45 students annually.
- Currently, 42 students are enrolled, and 13 have successfully graduated.
- Since June 1, 2021, CWDP students have collectively contributed over 62,096 hours at TSCI.
- On average, students work just under 24 hours per week during their internship experiences.
CLSP is proving to serve as a critical talent pipeline while providing students with meaningful career development opportunities.
Key Takeaways
Change in higher education is difficult. Every successful initiative needs a strong champion, someone who can lead the effort and rally broad support across campus. Identifying allies early, especially among faculty and administrators, is essential to starting and maintaining momentum.
Having an initial financial incentive, whether from state resources or private support, makes a significant difference. Even if the program has to launch with a scaled-back budget, early investment signals commitment and can get the program off the ground.
Quick, visible successes help build credibility and buy-in. Strong student placement numbers, improved retention, and noticeable gains in graduation rates, especially students completing in four years rather than extending into a fifth or sixth year, can validate the program’s impact early on.
Start smaller than you think you need to. New concepts take time to gain traction, and initial projections may be overly ambitious. A slower start can afford extra time to refine messaging, adjust recruitment strategies, and identify the right student audience, ultimately helping the program grow more effectively.
“Here we have a program that wasn’t designed to just bring staff into corrections. It truly had a mission to provide people the opportunity to complete a four-year degree in criminal justice and then use that degree and their experiences as interns to come up to become the next generation of leaders for this agency.”
Scott Frakes, director, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
“The idea grew out of a simple question from then-Gov. Pete Ricketts: ‘Is there anything you can do?’ From there, we brought our team together, collaborated with the Department of Corrections, and shaped a program based on what the system actually needed. At one point, someone even remarked that students with this level of training could be hired directly into sergeant-level roles. That’s when I started thinking of it like ROTC for corrections—a leadership development pipeline modeled on what the military has done so successfully. Now, I often describe the program that way, and looking ahead, the need goes beyond just corrections officers. The system also requires nurses, educators, and support staff. We can see a future where this model expands into other degree programs we offer, building a more complete pipeline for Nebraska’s workforce.”
Paul Turman, chancellor, Nebraska State College System
“I received hands-on training, learned effective communication skills, and gained knowledge of prison rules and regulations. In addition, I have become more mature in managing my emotions, thoughts, and actions.”
Paw Wah, first graduate of CLSP, Peru State College
“Ours has been a great partnership with Peru State College, and a unique one in so many ways. We hope it may serve as a model for building a workforce within corrections as well as developing future leaders.”
Diane Sabatka-Rine, interim director, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services