Ten inmates jailed at the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections were awarded a GED during a graduation ceremony on Friday.

Only three of the inmates — who donned a black cap and gown over county-issued orange jumpsuits — were on hand to receive diplomas after spending several months working to earn the equivalent of a high school education.

Nearly 20 other inmates and 15 family members and corrections staff attended the ceremony.

Diane Kanu, the acting director for the county’s Office of Portfolio Schools, told the inmates that “the tassel is worth the hassle.”

Bill Frazier, the acting deputy director of the county Bureau of Administration, had a simple message for the graduates: “We don’t look forward to seeing you back here. When you graduate from this jail, we hope you go on to bigger and better things.”