Former Gang Member Graduates From College
Kenneth Butler served 15 years in prison, and he is now a college graduate.
According to KABC-TV, the former gang member began taking college courses while he was incarcerated. However, when he was paroled in the summer of 2021, he enrolled as a full-time student as a Fullbright fellow at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Butler officially graduated on May 14.
Butler told KABC-TV, "My greatest achievement is graduation, for sure, the Fulbright has to be up there at the top for sure, but me graduating from College is my greatest achievement.”
He continued, "Coming from a low-income community, having served 15 years in prison, I'm bringing that experience into a whole new place of study for me. I can relate to the guys who have been incarcerated, and I have an understanding of that so I think it's going to be an easy connection."
Butler also lost his grandmother three months after he was released due to COVID, he explained, "I just wanted to make her happy. I've caused a lot of pain over the years, and I just want to put a smile on her face, give her something to be proud of."
Kenneth Butler’s next step is a 10-month trip to Uganda to research the country's prison system and its low recidivism rate.
