LOGAN COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - The Baking Apprenticeship Program at Logan Correctional Center is working to change the lives and minds of offenders and prepare them for life after prison.

The 6,000 hour (three year) program takes women through the academics of baking, in their baking boot camp.

In the beginning of the boot camp offenders learn all the basics, like math and science and then finally the safety/sanitation and the management side of running a kitchen.

Marilyn Lemak is the boot camp instructor, and said she completed the program while serving time in Dwight Correctional Center, now she's an instructor for the course.

"When I was learning, we didn't have specific instructors. We were kind-of learning on the job and on the fly," said Lemak, who's serving a life sentence in IDOC. "In here, I have learned how to be an instructor and that has been very helpful to me."

After boot camp, the women in the program will start getting hands-on experience in the kitchen.

Diana Thames is an instructor for the course, she also took the course at Dwight Correctional Center 10 years ago. She explained after moving to Logan Correctional Center she didn't think much of the program until they asked her to be an instructor.

"Most of them have never done any baking at all, so it is everything from scratch," she explained. "We pretty much follow the curriculum that's already set up, in addition to that, we do a lot of cake decorating and hand painting of cookies."

Thames, who's spending 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for murder, said she was hesitant to get back into the program. Saying, she never thought of herself being an instructor, but after getting into it and teaching the women she felt like she found her calling.

"Train these women so that in the three years, when they get out, they will have a career where they can actually earn their own living and do well," she said.

There is a lengthily application process to get into the program. Cynthia Warren is an apprentice and said they the Warden and the other staff in charge of the program look at their behavior. They make sure there hasn't been any disciplinary issues, and then there is an interview process.

"It was worth the wait," Warren said. "I've never cracked an egg before and now I'm putting frosting on cupcakes, so it's exciting."

After two years, the offenders in the program have made a number of cakes for families, in addition to Governor J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

"It's very exciting, not only to me, but I get excited to see the apprentice's looks on their faces," Thames explained.

Currently, there are 12 women in the program. Lemak said while this program is designed to teach culinary skills, it's also working to teach women life skills.

"We all are different ages, different races, different backgrounds and we are all learning to work together to get the job done," Lemak said. "Whether or not they become bakers, I think those are skills that really will work well on the outside."

To be applicable for the program an offender must have more than three years left on their sentence. Warren said that while she didn't know much about baking, after getting into the program she thought about ideas she could do once she is released.

"When I get out of here, I want to be able to make pastries and stuff that is people and pet friendly," Warren explained. "This (program) defiantly helps get the right skills to do that."

Recently a women in the program was released and was able to start working in her own bakery shop in Illinois. To learn more about program in IDOC click here.