Resource Community Higher Education in Prison

Webpage includes links to each HEP newsletter.

This communication plan is intended to help the Alliance (its board and staff)
deliver timely, relevant and engaging information to its members and the public. By delivering consistent and engaging communication, the Alliance hopes to inspire more people to join its collaborative and inclusive work. This plan is a living document that will change over time as the organization grows. The plan aligns public outreach activities with the goals, objectives and key communication messages of the organization.

This strategic plan outlines the core projects that fall under each of the Alliance's focus areas - Building Community, Producing Knowledge, Supporting Quality Practice, Shaping Dialogue, Ensuring Sustainability - and the impact the Alliance seeks to have in these areas.

This document consists of two types of pages:
1. Instructional pages like this one with a grey bar along the left margin explain how to use the toolkit, provide guidance about how to conduct a strategic planning process, and describe how the output of your process might look.
2. Worksheet pages provide space to write. The worksheet pages have
page numbers in the bottom corner that correspond to the document’s
pre-formatted table of contents. You can type your responses into the
spaces provided in the PDF worksheet pages. When the PDF is completed
electronically, you will have the option to save/print your completed plan
(eliminating the instructional pages).

The overall purpose of NCHEP is to provide an annual opportunity for the higher education in prison community to gather and mobilize the talent, resources, and energy needed to expand access to quality higher education and academic reentry support services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.

A sampling of academic studies and research articles about colleges and universities providing higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals and the range of considerations this work entails.

A sampling of academic studies and research articles about colleges and universities providing higher education for formerly incarcerated individuals and the range of considerations this work entails.

The Exit Report offers the full portrait and findings of the 2018 NCHEP conference experience.

The annual NCHEP Exit Report has become, since 2017, one of the primary ways in which the Alliance for Education in Prison reviews, assesses, and prepares the groundwork for planning the National Conference for Higher Education in Prison. The “Exit Report” additionally serves as an opportunity to reflect on the current state of the field of higher education in prison and to make observations about its future trajectory.

This report details the higher education in prison community’s experiences with its first-ever “virtual” conference, featuring daily presentations hosted online via Zoom March 1-5, 2021, and under the theme “Amplifying Access.” Since first hosting the annual conference in 2017, the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison has published an Exit Report as part of its reporting in the days and weeks following the annual National Conference on Higher Education in Prison.3 The annual Exit Report presents an opportunity for both reflecting on the state of the field of higher education in prison, and for making observations about where it might be heading.

The annual NCHEP Exit Report has evolved, since 2017, to serve as one of the primary ways in which the Alliance for Education in Prison reviews, assesses, and prepares the groundwork for planning the NCHEP. The “Exit Report” offers a recurring opportunity to reflect on the current state of the field of higher education in prison, and to make observations about the field’s future trajectory. It provides an important sense of history and context for the conference, while enabling a sense of accountability in planning as the field continues to evolve.

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s First Annual Report introduces you to our mission, goals, values, and everyday work. Along the way, we’ll also orient you to our many ongoing projects, as well as the many people who make the Alliance what it is. Our First Annual Report covers the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s broader operations for the fiscal calendar year between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

This Report introduces you to our mission, goals, values, and everyday work. We’ll orient you to our many ongoing projects, our work for the 2021 fiscal
year, and identify some of the exciting work and transitions that lie ahead. Our Second Annual Report covers the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s broader operations for the fiscal calendar year between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.

The Journal of Higher Education in Prison (JHEP) is a space to raise the kinds of questions that wrestle with the histories and circumstances of coordinated human removal and privilege futures in which prisons, jails, detention centers, and all other locations designed to confine and cage people are not permanent fixtures in our world or imagination. We hope that this journal can be of service to those futures, and we think that there should be a venue where practitioners, scholars, activists, and students can come together to share ideas, stories, research, experiences, theories, and practices toward the end of prisons and punishment. Unlike publication outlets that focus on the site of prisons or jails and the people inside them as unique places for education to occur, we approach this journal with criticisms of our current conditions and deep knowledge of and respect for educational theory and praxis.

This discussion guide is a useful tool for facilitators leading thoughtful conversations about the content in the report, and for note takers seeking to capture important ideas and action items. You’ll find questions, materials and guidelines as well as instructions and tips for both facilitators and note takers. The purpose of the discussion guide is to: create a dialogue among people who care about improving equity, access and excellence in higher education in prison programs. Staff and program administrators can use this discussion guide to:
• Discuss opportunities and talk with students and other stakeholders about your program and
higher education in prison, more broadly.
• Support efforts to continuously improve the Equity and Excellence in Practice report.
• Guide the ongoing work of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
The discussion guide ends with an invitation to share your feedback with the Alliance in an effort to help improve our programming efforts.

With support from an anonymous donor, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison and the Saint Louis University Prison Program have spearheaded a year-long planning process related to the formation of a national organization for higher education in prison. Throughout the process, input was gathered from a broad range of stakeholders and key partners related to
the purpose and promise of higher education in prison, its role in addressing larger issues of injustice in our society, and ways in which a national organization could serve to increase access to higher education in prison. The process included research and interviews with other national organizations, stakeholder feedback collected via surveys (online and paper) and focus groups, and three distinct strategic planning workshops. The planning process has culminated in this Prospectus, a working document to support further planning for and the launch of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison (AHEP), a national organization with a mission to support the expansion of quality higher education in prison, empower students in prison and after release, and shape public discussion about education and incarceration.

With support from an anonymous donor, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison and the Saint Louis University Prison Program have spearheaded a year-long planning process related to the formation of a national organization for higher education in prison. Throughout the process, input was gathered from a broad range of stakeholders and key partners related to
the purpose and promise of higher education in prison, its role in addressing larger issues of injustice in our society, and ways in which a national organization could serve to increase access to higher education in prison. The process included research and interviews with other national organizations, stakeholder feedback collected via surveys (online and paper) and focus groups, and three distinct strategic planning workshops. The planning process has culminated in this Prospectus, a working document to support further planning for and the launch of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison (AHEP), a national organization with a mission to support the expansion of quality higher education in prison, empower students in prison and after release, and shape public discussion about education and incarceration.

This document provides highlights from data collected prior (e.g.: online registration and scholarship application), during (e.g.: onsite registration, panel attendance) and after (Exit Report and unsolicited feedback/emails) the 2017 NCHEP.

Programs (2020 Annual Survey), distributed by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.

The Landscape Survey contained 93 questions designed to collect both descriptive and openended responses from participants about their college-in-prison programs during the 2018/2019

The Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education Prison Survey (Landscape Survey) was
designed as a confidential follow-up to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison
Programs (2020 Annual Survey), distributed by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
The Landscape Survey contained 93 questions designed to collect both descriptive and open-ended responses from participants about their college-in-prison programs during the 2018/2019
academic year

The Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education Prison Survey (Landscape Survey) was
designed as a confidential follow-up to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison
Programs (2020 Annual Survey), distributed by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
The Landscape Survey contained 93 questions designed to collect both descriptive and open-ended responses from participants about their college-in-prison programs during the 2018/2019
academic year

The Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education Prison Survey (Landscape Survey) was
designed as a confidential follow-up to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison
Programs (2020 Annual Survey), distributed by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
The Landscape Survey contained 93 questions designed to collect both descriptive and open-ended responses from participants about their college-in-prison programs during the 2018/2019
academic year

Equity and Excellence in Practice: A Guide for Higher Education in Prison provides a clear and specific summary of what the authors believe are the most essential components of high quality in-prison higher education programs that uphold a commitment to equity, excellence and access.

In December 2017, Lumina Foundation provided support to the Prison University Project (PUP) and the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison (the Alliance) to reflect upon and document the key characteristics of high-quality prison higher education programs, and to inform other stakeholders in the field, including new and experienced practitioners seeking to achieve equity and excellence in their work, policy leaders, philanthropy, and others. The main practical goal of this report is to provide a summary of what we (the authors) believe are the most essential components of a high quality in-prison higher education program.

Data report: In this brief report, we provide a descriptive overview of the
landscape of higher education in prison during the 2018-2019
academic year. Data for this report are drawn from two sources:
responses to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison
Programs (n = 131) and data compiled by the Research Collaborative
on Higher Education in Prison for known programs that did not
complete the Annual Survey (n = 169).

Data report: In this report, we provide a descriptive overview of the landscape of higher education in prison during the 2019-2020 academic year, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (July 1, 2019 – March 1, 2020). To our knowledge, the data we present here is the best available information about the state of higher education in prison programming prior to the disruptive effect of the pandemic. Data for this report are drawn from responses to the 2021 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs (n = 168), which were compiled with known program information from the National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs (n = 204).

Data report: In this report, we provide a descriptive overview of the landscape of higher education in prison during the 2020-2021 academic year (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021), based on the responses of known higher education in prison program staff (N=406) to the 2022 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs. To our knowledge, the data we present here is the best available information about the state of higher education in prison programming for the 2020-2021 academic year. Data for this report are drawn from responses to the 2022 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs (n=172), which were compiled with existing program data in the National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs (n=234). The 2022 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs was launched in May 2022 and closed in August 2022. The Annual Survey was distributed to all known higher education in prison programs, as well as made publicly available on multiple platforms.

This brief report outlines the potential impacts of Pell restoration on the field of higher education in prison. Using original qualitative data from interviews with 12 higher education in prison programs and quantitative data from a national survey of college programs in prison, our analysis focuses on persistent funding challenges that the Pell grant alone cannot address. Specifically, we highlight three distinct and pressing challenges for the field of higher education in light of Pell restoration, and related to: 1. access to funding other than FAFSA, including college/university specific scholarships; 2. administrative sustainability and funding, and key stakeholder alignment on program vision and offerings, and 3. access to student support services. Ultimately, we argue that the effects of Pell reinstatement on access to higher education will depend on whether it is accompanied by investments in a broader range of institutional infrastructures and resources. The report
concludes with recommendations to adequately and responsibly support the growth and quality of higher education in prison programs.

This report offers information about the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on higher education in prison programs. The data used for this report come from two sources: 1) the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison Programs, and 2) the Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education in Prison Programs Survey. These findings are part of an ongoing time-series
data collection process that will continue through semi-annual surveys distributed to higher education in prison programs through the United States.

The Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education Prison Survey (Landscape Survey) was
designed as a confidential follow-up to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison
Programs (2020 Annual Survey), distributed by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
The Landscape Survey contained 93 questions designed to collect both descriptive and open-ended responses from participants about their college-in-prison programs during the 2018/2019
academic year

designed as a confidential follow-up to the 2020 Annual Survey of Higher Education in Prison

Student handbook: Blackstone Career Institute is committed to providing quality, relevant and affordable distance education programs that focus on the knowledge and skills needed for entry-level careers, professional development or personal goals. Instruction is remote, correspondence.

Student handbook: The mission of the North Carolina Field Minister Program is to educate and equip men of faith to serve as cultural assets within the incarcerated population of North Carolina. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Student handbook: The mission of Feather River College's Incarcerated Student Program is to offer a high quality transferable Associate Degree in Liberal Arts to a diverse incarcerated student population. Our mission is to also offer life skills courses that culminate in an Entrepreneurial Business Certificate. Our program will enhance personal development and rehabilitation through an effective learning process that helps students to attain their goals, thereby increasing their self-worth, confidence, and employment opportunities. The program will encourage students' communication and critical thinking skills, and lifelong learning habits. In addition, the ISP seeks to broaden societal understanding of incarcerated student populations. Instruction is remote, correspondence.

CIU Prison Initiative Student Handbook

Volunteer handbook: The Prison Education Program at Saint Louis University is a Jesuit-inspired initiative that provides access to high-quality liberal arts education for people who are incarcerated and prison staff.

Volunteer handbook: This program serves adult women, with no college credit or non-credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Volunteer handbook: The Florida Prison Education Project provides educational opportunities to incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated people in Florida, researches the societal benefits of prison education and integrates the study of justice into the University of Central Florida curriculum. This program serves adult men, with non-credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Staff handbook: Tennessee Higher Education Initiative disrupts systems of harm, creates opportunities for autonomy and success through education, support, and advocacy with and for justice impacted individuals. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Strategic plan: The Petey Greene Program supplements education in jails, prisons, detention centers, and reentry programs by providing free, high-quality tutoring and related programming to support the academic achievement of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. The Petey Greene Program also educates its volunteers--college students and community members--about the injustice manifest in our carceral system, and we strive to inspire our alumni--both students and tutors--to become advocates and take on leadership roles that reimagine the criminal legal system. This program serves juvenile men, with non-credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Strategic plan: The Self-Paced Program, offered in both paper and web-based formats, is specifically designed to make learning as flexible as possible. A wide variety of courses is available and you can take up to six months to complete each course. Students can complete degrees at the associate and bachelor's levels. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Student evaluation form: As a champion of institutional, structural, and personal transformation, the Institute opens doors and eliminates barriers to success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. We create access to higher education and pathways to satisfying careers. We advocate for the right to housing, employment, healthcare, and other human rights too often denied people with criminal convictions. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Student handbook: The Chillon Project at Life University provides credit-bearing classes and degrees to people in prison and formerly incarcerated people in Georgia; creates learning communities grounded in principles of compassion and conflict transformation; and shares resources and builds skills that enable people to thrive, benefit others, and build the world they wish to see, no matter where they are. This program serves adult women, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face.

Student handbook: The Self-Paced Program, offered in both paper and web-based formats, is specifically designed to make learning as flexible as possible. A wide variety of courses is available and you can take up to six months to complete each course. Students can complete degrees at the associate and bachelor's levels. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Student handbook: STEP-UP's mission is to provide academic, logistical, and limited financial support for students who have been formerly incarcerated and/or have suffered from alcohol or drug addiction. This program serves adult men and women, with college credit and non-credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face.

Student handbook: As a champion of institutional, structural, and personal transformation, the Institute opens doors and eliminates barriers to success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. We create access to higher education and pathways to satisfying careers. We advocate for the right to housing, employment, healthcare, and other human rights too often denied people with criminal convictions. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.

Program evaluation: STEP-UP's mission is to provide academic, logistical, and limited financial support for students who have been formerly incarcerated and/or have suffered from alcohol or drug addiction. This program serves adult men and women, with college credit and non-credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face.

Program evaluation: Freedom Prep is a college transition program for court-involved youth age 16-24. The goal is to provide a supported, structured on-ramp to college for currently and formerly incarcerated and court-involved young people. In addition to the opportunity to earn up to six college credits through a free college classes, the students receive college counseling and advising through CUNY programs such as the Foster Care Initiative, the John Jay Institute for Justice and Opportunity, College Now, and CUNY Start. Freedom Prep gives students who have experienced multiple barriers to getting an education the opportunity to take a college class and eventually go to college. This program serves juvenile men, with college credit offerings.

Reentry guide: Tennessee Higher Education Initiative disrupts systems of harm, creates opportunities for autonomy and success through education, support, and advocacy with and for justice impacted individuals. This program serves adult men, with college credit offerings. Instruction is on-site, face-to-face and remote.