This work grew from my (Frank Sgro's)  experience returning to higher education after serving a long prison sentence. I quickly learned that being capable of college-level work and understanding the language of college were two different things. Academic terms and expectations often assumed knowledge I had never been taught, and asking questions could feel like admitting I did not belong. Through my education and work with Dr. Cailyn Green, I began to see this as a larger barrier for students moving from prison into college. We created this work to identify that barrier and offer educators a practical way to make academic expectations clearer before confusion becomes disengagement. For me, this research is personal and grounded in the hope that students coming behind me will not have to figure out the academic system alone. 

Please see the attached pages

We are now accepting proposals for the third-annual Incarcerated Scholars Conference (ISC), which will be held virtually on October 28–29, 2026. This year's theme is "Learning in Motion."

Currently incarcerated students and currently incarcerated alumni of higher education in prison programs can submit a Presentation Proposal. Presenters (even those self-submitting) should be prepared to identify a proxy, who must be affiliated with an educational program currently in operation at the prison.

All currently incarcerated artists (regardless of their educational affiliation or enrollment) are welcome to complete a Creative Submission.

The deadline for both proposal types is July 12th. 

 
If you have questions about ISC and how best to support incarcerated students' participation in the conference, we have two Q&A sessions in June: 

• Monday, June 8th at 3pm ET - More info & registration
• Thursday, June 25th at 12pm ET - More info & registration

You can ask about access to technology, the submission process for presentation proposals and creative works, facility permissions, and any other questions you have. This will be an open office hours format, so feel free to drop in, ask questions, or simply listen and learn.
 

Applications for the 2026 Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellowship for Leaders in Higher Education in Prison close May 14! Read more about how to apply and what to expect in the application.

The Fellowship, designed by Rockwood staff, trainers, and system-impacted consultants, is designed to strengthen and cohere a core group of formerly incarcerated leaders working in the HEP sector. For all the details, including the Fellowship programming and timeline, purpose, goals, and more, see our Applicant Program Information & FAQ.

Who can apply? 
This Fellowship is for formerly incarcerated leaders working in the Higher Ed in Prison field. Leaders at non-profit organizations, Universities and colleges, government agencies, foundations, state coalitions, etc. working within the field of Higher Ed in Prison are all welcome to apply. 

This training is limited to 24 participants who:

• Are formerly incarcerated leaders or decision makers in the Higher Education in Prison field, preferably those with Higher Education programming experience while incarcerated;

• Demonstrate personal/professional readiness to step out of their comfort zone and learn new leadership skills;

• Contribute to creating a cohort that is diverse in terms of demographics (such as race, gender identity, and sexual orientation), geography, lived experiences, and organizational strategy;

• Commit to full participation in the year-long fellowship, including three in-person retreats, completing any required pre-session work and post-session evaluations.

When are the in-person sessions? 

• Session 1: August 24-28, 2026, Wisconsin

• Session 2: November 16-20, 2026, California

• Session 3: March 8-12, 2027, New York

Fellows must be able to attend all three in-person sessions in order to participate.

Additional Program Offerings

• Virtual orientation prior to Session 1.

• Two virtual Community Calls that will support participants’ relationship building and learning outside of the structured training session time. 

• Two virtual Webinars that will support participants in learning concrete skills.

• Individual professional coaching. Each participant will have access to up to four free coaching sessions ​​with a Rockwood trainer during the program. 

Plus, cohorts 1-3 will be invited to participate in a 2-day virtual alum convening in 2027.

Full tuition and accommodations will be covered by Rockwood and fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend for completing the fellowship, along with up to $5,000 in training-related expense reimbursements (airfare, childcare, etc.).

Applications will close May 14 and select applicants will be invited to interview in May and June. Please share this new opportunity with any colleagues or friends that meet the cohort selection criteria.

Questions? Email me at andrea@rockwoodleadership.org.  

Mount Tamalpais College (MTC) and its research partners at UC Berkeley's Possibility Lab will release a set of field resources on maintaining ties with released students and involving them in research on HEP program outcomes. This is part of a three-year effort to scale programmatic resources (Identifying and Scaling Higher Education in Prison Programmatic Resources: Systems Alignment Initiative), managed by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in partnership with the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison and Jobs for the Future.

To ensure our resource is responsive to the needs of as many program types as possible, we invite fellow practitioners to complete a 20 minute survey about whether and how they maintain ties with released students, including their efforts to offer post-release services and evaluate student outcomes.

You can access the survey HERE. We would ask for responses by Wednesday, May 13. Thank you for sharing your work!

FC2A National Network Virtual Launch Event 
May 7, 2026, 3:30–5:00 p.m. ET (virtual)
 

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) for the inaugural virtual learning session of the Fair Chance to Advance (FC2A) National Network, a space open to representatives from any state committed to developing fair chance ecosystems. The national network will provide a platform to elevate learning and best practices, increase peer-to-peer support, and foster strategic connections across states. This first session will focus on reentry supports and employer engagement, featuring partner spotlights from Oregon and Michigan. 

Register here! 

If you believe colleges and universities should hire more individuals with lived experience and would like to learn about strategies for how to strengthen fair chance hiring practices at your institution: 

Register Here to attend the Fair Chance Hiring 101 session on May 12^th from 2-3 PM ET

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ffd0UT2MShW2TFTDrjdJ2Q

Fair Chance 101 is an informational session for colleges and universities that discusses how hiring people with records can be a strategic advantage for institutions. The session addresses common concerns about fair chance hiring with data, stories, and practical tools that help campuses strengthen talent pipelines, reflect their values, and meet workforce needs. Participants explore how student, staff, and faculty hiring practices affect people with records, shape campus culture, and deepen community impact, and they leave with concrete next steps to expand fair chance hiring across campus roles. Participants will also learn more about JFF’s Fall Fair Chance Hiring in Higher Ed Learning Series, a deeper dive into implementing fair chance hiring best practices on higher ed campuses.

MDRC, a nonpartisan - nonprofit research organization, is currently hiring for entry level research positions. Learn more about the positions here: https://secure6.saashr.com/ta/6162152.careers?CareersSearch=&InFrameset=0&HostedBy=www.mdrc.org&lang=en-US. There is a possibility of being able to work on our HEP portfolio but the bulk of the role would be related to other topics.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me: michelle.manno@mdrc.org 

Call to Action: Building a Doctoral Pathway for Incarcerated Scholars

My name is Michael Owens. I am currently incarcerated in California, serving an LWOP sentence, and have been inside for 28 years. During this time, I have committed myself to higher education, mentorship, and service within the prison community. I hold multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Abolition and Movement Theory from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and I am a published author, Davis-Putter Scholarship recipient, and certified in the helping field.

I am writing to open a broader conversation within the field of higher education in prison: What would it take to build a viable doctoral pathway for incarcerated scholars who have already demonstrated graduate-level readiness?

In California, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation permits higher education programming, and some facilities provide access to secure laptops, Canvas, and research tools such as EBSCO. At the same time, universities across the country offer fully online doctoral programs in fields such as transformative education, social justice, and leadership.

The infrastructure is emerging. The question is how we build the bridge.

I am seeking:

Faculty, administrators, or programs willing to explore a pilot doctoral pathway within correctional settings

Mentors or advocates who can help serve as liaisons to doctoral programs

Institutions interested in co-developing a scalable model for advanced graduate education in prison

Others across the field who are already thinking about or working on similar efforts

This is not only about one individual opportunity. It is about building a model that can expand access for future incarcerated and justice-impacted scholars prepared to contribute at the highest academic levels.

I welcome dialogue, collaboration, and any guidance from those engaged in this work. If you are interested in connecting, contributing, or exploring this idea further, I would be grateful to be in conversation.

Respectfully,

Michael Owens

Hi RCHEP Community,

I wanted to share a resource that was developed directly in alignment with the themes and urgency of NCHEP 15, particularly the powerful focus on Beyond Access.

My new book, Breaking Chains, Building Futures: Pathways to Redemption, Education, and Excellence, was intentionally designed as a curriculum-ready resource for higher education in prison programs, reentry initiatives, and educators working with justice-impacted learners. It includes structured modules, reflective prompts, and applied frameworks that can be used in classroom, training, and program development settings.

I’m sharing it here in case it may be useful to colleagues across the field:

• Book: https://a.co/d/06KoeDUr
• Bulk orders: https://share.google/h7w2wVEk7lgk0CQ5s
• Curriculum materials: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZzNg5zz6YoPtWi39fe8OexQKS0YhEoD8/view?usp=drivesdk
• Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXi0hGM6pBe35ggGTuvEFmBSukGi1gY5/view?usp=drivesdk

For those who attended NCHEP 15 and are already engaging with the book, I would greatly appreciate any reviews or feedback that can help expand its reach and utility across the field.

Grateful for this community and the continued work to move beyond access toward meaningful transformation in higher education in prison.

—
Stanley Andrisse, MBA, PhD
P2P Executive Director | Prison-to-Professionals (P2P)
Tenured Associate Professor, Howard University College of Medicine

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/Prison-Cells-PhD-Never-Late/dp/1642939404
Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Chains-Building-Futures-Redemption/dp/139432104X

JFF's Center for Justice and Economic Advancement will be holding an Info Session about their Fair Chance Hiring in Hiring Education Learning Series on May 12th from 2-3 pm ET.  If you would like to learn more about the Learning Series, and how your institution could benefit from participating, please fell free to register. 

The Fair Chance Hiring in Higher Ed Learning Series is a one semester professional learning experience being held virtually this Fall and is designed for colleges and universities interested in expanding access to employment for people with a record of arrest, conviction, or incarceration. During this learning journey, participants will gain the essential knowledge, tools, and implementation support to adopt fair chance talent practices.

Who should attend?  

We recommend you form a small, cross-functional team of five people involved in your institution's talent recruitment and management policies and processes. Ideal participants include HR Leaders, Hiring Managers, Office of the General Counsel, Senior Leadership, Departmental Chairs, and Faculty and Staff with Lived Experience

Objectives of the Learning Series

• Identify what your institution and community stand to gain from fair chance hiring
• Learn to make the case for fair chance hiring to key institutional stakeholders
• Address concerns about risks associated with fair chance hiring
• Discuss best practices for evaluating background checks and intentionally
  recruiting, hiring, and supporting talent with records
• Develop an actionable fair chance hiring implementation plan

Use the link below to register for the info session Learning Series 

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ffd0UT2MShW2TFTDrjdJ2Q

Rockwood Leadership Institute, in partnership with Ascendium, is excited to announce that applications for the third cohort of the Fellowship for Leaders in Higher Education in Prison are now open! Full tuition and accommodations will be covered by Rockwood and fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend for completing the fellowship, along with up to $5,000 in training-related expense reimbursements (airfare, childcare, etc.).

Apply for the 2026 Fellowship for Leaders in Higher Education in Prison now! Read more about how to apply and what to expect in the application.

The Fellowship, designed by Rockwood staff, trainers, and system-impacted consultants, is designed to strengthen and cohere a core group of formerly incarcerated leaders working in the HEP sector. For all the details, including the Fellowship programming and timeline, purpose, goals, and more, see our Applicant Program Information & FAQ.

Who can apply? 

This Fellowship is for formerly incarcerated leaders working in the Higher Ed in Prison field. Leaders at non-profit organizations, Universities and colleges, government agencies, foundations, state coalitions, etc. working within the field of Higher Ed in Prison are all welcome to apply. 

This training is limited to 24 participants who:

• Are formerly incarcerated leaders or decision makers in the Higher Education in Prison field, preferably those with Higher Education programming experience while incarcerated;

• Demonstrate personal/professional readiness to step out of their comfort zone and learn new leadership skills;

• Contribute to creating a cohort that is diverse in terms of demographics (such as race, gender identity, and sexual orientation), geography, lived experiences, and organizational strategy;

• Commit to full participation in the year-long fellowship, including three in-person retreats, completing any required pre-session work and post-session evaluations.

When are the in-person sessions? 

• Session 1: August 24-28, 2026, Wisconsin

• Session 2: November 16-20, 2026, California

• Session 3: March 8-12, 2027, New York

Fellows must be able to attend all three in-person sessions in order to participate.

Additional Program Offerings

• Virtual orientation prior to Session 1.

• Two virtual Community Calls that will support participants’ relationship building and learning outside of the structured training session time. 

• Two virtual Webinars that will support participants in learning concrete skills.

• Individual professional coaching. Each participant will have access to up to four free coaching sessions ​​with a Rockwood trainer during the program. 

Plus, cohorts 1-3 will be invited to participate in a 2-day virtual alum convening in 2027.

Applications will close May 14 and select applicants will be invited to interview in May and June. Please share this new opportunity with any colleagues or friends that meet the cohort selection criteria.

Questions? Email me at andrea@rockwoodleadership.org.  

Open to all New Englanders: Join the New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC) team at Whistle Taproom & Venue on Friday, April 10th for a drop-in regional gathering following the formal conclusion of NCHEP 2026. Attendees will reflect on the week’s events, exchange insights and information, and discuss how we want to carry new ideas and practices from the conference back to our region over drinks and light bites.  

• What: A drop-in regional gathering with drinks and light appetizers 
• When: Friday, April 10, 2026, from 6 to 8 PM ET 
• Where: Whistle Taproom & Venue - 818 Huron Rd E, Cleveland, OH 44115 

Please feel free to send this invitation to other partners attending NCHEP and working in the New England region. We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you there! 

Please join us for the Project Mend Launch Event, celebrating  the release of the fourth issue of Mend, an annual publication featuring writing and art by people impacted by the criminal legal system. It includes a Zoom option. 

Now in its fourth year, Project Mend is a collaboration between Syracuse University and the Center for Community Alternatives that brings together incarcerated writers, formerly incarcerated writers, and family members and to produce a print and digital publication. 

At the event, we will celebrate the publication while also showcasing artwork and short films that are now part of the growing Project Mend digital archive.​

Event details

Project Mend Launch Party 2026
Saturday, March 21
12:00–1:30 p.m. ET
Art in the Atrium
201 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, NY

The event will also be available on Zoom for those who wish to attend remotely. 

To register for Zoom: https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/G9tomhACShySYQpOEELq9w

The event will feature readings, artwork, and reflections from contributors and collaborators. A light lunch will be provided, and the event will also be available via Zoom.

More information about Project Mend can be found at
https://project-mend.net

Seeking reviewers! 

The International Journal for Creativity Inside is seeking contributors for our Fall 2026 issue to submit reviews of books and other media touching on the topic of arts and creativity while inside a prison, jail, or other detention facility. The journal aims to encourage cross-disciplinary discourse focusing on creativity in the carceral system. 

Deadline: April 15, 2026 

Please submit your review by April 15, 2026. Submit online on the Journal’s website. If you have problems with online submission, please reach out. 

Anyone can submit a review. I would appreciate your help promoting this opportunity to any colleagues you work with who are currently incarcerated or detained. We will send a copy of the Fall 2026 issue to every incarcerated or detained contributor. 

Reviews should be 300 – 1000 words. For more details about the specifics of submitting a review, refer to the Journal’s website and submission guidelines.  

We encourage reviews of any relevant media, including movies, art exhibits, non-English media, and more. We prioritize reviews of current material, but we accept any review that contributes to the academic and cultural conversation. 

Here are some recent works that we think merit review although you are not limited to one of these: 

• Changemakers’ Guide to Prison Arts Programming by Annie Buckley [we can get a copy to you for review purposes] 
• From Prison Arts to Creative Futures by Alman Robinson 
• A Feminist Reconstruction of Intellectual Property Laws in Music by Metka Potočnik 
• Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline: An Action Guide for Libraries by Carrie Scott Banks and Jill Anderson [we can get a copy to you for review purposes] 
• The Restlessness of Bound Wrists by Jorge Antonio Renaud [we can get a copy to you for review purposes] 
• Sound and Detention edited by Lucy Cathcart Frödén, Kate Herrity, and Áine Mangaoang 
• This is Ear Hustle by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods [2021] 

Please reach out with any questions: janderson@queenslibrary.org or dgussak@fsu.edu 

I am the Reviews editor, so that's what I have most to do with, but you are welcome to contribute any article or piece that relates to this topic.

Thanks,

Hey RCHEP Community,

Have you learned with FICGN yet? Join us tomorrow for the last HEP Orientation Learning & Feedback Session, where we'll explore the impact of K-12 education on higher ed in prison and reentry success in our "Lessons from Local Leaders" workshop. 

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 

Time: 11am ET/8am PT

Register and Attend: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6ZuH0PYgSXyrT3bEWt0jHw 

Event Information: This session will feature a spotlight conversation with David A. Gethers, a veteran of the United States Marine Corp, who completed his degree inside and is now leading the movement to empower first-generation students to attain college degrees.

Reminder: FICGN is looking to refine our professional development offerings for educators and administrators working in Higher Education in Prison. Feedback from these sessions will be incorporated into the next iteration of the HEP Orientation resource.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6ZuH0PYgSXyrT3bEWt0jHw

The production team of the Next Generation Media Internship Program kicks-off their 4th season with a lively Q&A session testing the knowledge of our viewers on "All Things Justice".

https://youtu.be/kAupb61e7RM

2nd and 4th Saturdays (February - April) at 10:00 a.m. CST

The Justice Beat Talk Show

S9:E2 - Topic: Learning Behind Bars

Guest: Dr. Meiners

1st and 3rd Saturdays (February - April) at 10:00 a.m. CST

https://www.youtube.com/live/QJRXVYM0Mx4?si=nn_rffcsz3reHxbl