When Jeffrey “JD” Davidson received his acceptance letter to the chaminade university prison education program two and a half years ago, he saw it as more than just an opportunity. He saw it as a sign.
After spending six years of incarceration in Halawa Correctional Facility on Oahu for fraudulent activities, the chance to continue his education through Chaminade’s Prison Education Program marked the beginning of a new chapter.
While going through the Chaminade Prison Education Program, Davidson was focused throughout his studies, participating in the work with a purpose. Now, he is taking classes at Chaminade for his first ever college semester on the campus, and Davidson is still maintaining that high level of focus and bringing that contagious energy with him as well.
“I got the letter … and it was a blessing, man,” Davidson said. “Now I really know that God is working.”
While growing up in Pacific Palisades in Pearl City on Oahu, Davidson was around the wrong crowd. He admits to committing crimes, drinking, doing drugs, getting kicked out of school and partying late at night. He didn’t graduate from high school. He found himself on the wrong track.
Davidson earned his GED a year after what would have been his senior year of high school.
Later, while he was incarcerated, he surrounded himself with like-minded individuals who were on the same path in trying to better their life after being released. They took time to have Bible studies and reflect on taking the proper steps to better themselves.
“I don’t surround myself with any other homies that are still in that [criminal] life,” he said.
Davidson was part of the Prison Education Program’s second graduating class, which began with 15 students and ended with nine. The journey wasn’t easy. Rebuilding himself inside prison walls meant confronting and accepting his past mistakes, soaking in his thoughts of how to change his life around after his release during his days of confinement, and fighting against all the negativity that surrounded him. It took patience, discipline, and faith to stay focused when the odds were stacked against him.
But through it all, he said he found purpose, something he hadn’t felt in years, and a reason to keep going with a belief that he could still create something meaningful out of his life.
Inside the classroom, he found motivation and discipline. He worked hard, earning valedictorian with straight A’s, and discovering that education could be the key to transforming not just his circumstances but his mindset.
“JD is one I remembered who was really engaged in my talk,” said Chaminade professor Wera Panow-Loui, who went to the Halawa program as a guest speaker. “You can tell he was taking notes, he was curious. He was actually interested in the presentation that I did.”
qAfter his release on August 13, Davidson followed through on a promise he made to himself while still incarcerated, to keep going. By the end of the Chaminade Prison Education Program, he was able to earn his associates degree in Business Administration.
Today, he’s a full-time Chaminade student seeking his bachelor’s in Criminal Justice alongside a minor in Psychology, determined with his plan to help others who are walking the path he once did. Once receiving his bachelor’s, Davidson has plans to then pursue his master’s degree in Criminal Justice as well.
“When we got his release date, we were very excited because we knew that he was going to come to campus and make an immediate impact,” said Rylie Hager, the Prison Education program manager.
Panow-Loui said she gets excited seeing Davidson on campus and seeing all the growth he has made. Davidson credits the Chaminade University community for helping him stay grounded during the whole transition from prison life to campus life.
“Everybody here is just so supportive,” Davidson said. “They’re all rooting for me, and I haven’t had that in a long time.”
Now, as he walks across the campus no longer confined by walls or expectations from others, Davidson carries a humble pride with him to be a better man everyday. For Davidson, education has become more than a second chance. It’s a mission.
“I feel like I can’t let nobody down,” he said. “Once I let them down, I let myself down. And that’s just not an option.”