Prison University Project

The Prison University Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which supports the College Program at San Quentin State Prison, comprising intensive college preparatory courses in math and English and an associate's degree program. Courses are all taught on-site by volunteers, most of them graduate students, instructors, and faculty members from San Francisco Bay Area colleges and universities.[2] Degrees are awarded by Patten University.[3]

Prison University Project
Formation2003
Type501(c)3 non-profit organization
Location
Executive Director
Jody Lewen
Budget
$2,500,000
Staff
12
Volunteers
over 100[1]
Websiteprisonuniversityproject.org

The Prison University Project also provides guidance to student inmates, as well as disseminating information on prison education to the public at large.[1] From November 2007 to January 2008 it organized an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, including photographs by Heather Rowley of everyday scenes at San Quentin and essays by students in the College Program about their experiences;[4][5] a similar exhibition on Alcatraz Island ran from June 1 to October 22, 2008.[6][7] The Prison University Project received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in September 2016.

Background

The Prison University Project has its origins in the aftermath of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which made it illegal for prisoners to receive Pell Grants, reducing the number of college degree-granting programs in United States prisons from its peak of over 350 to fewer than 10.[8][9] The College Program at San Quentin was founded in fall of 1996, based entirely on volunteer teaching and organization. As the College Program expanded and efforts to raise funds increased, the Prison University Project was founded in 2003.[10]

The College Program at San Quentin

About 300 student inmates are enrolled in the College Program at San Quentin each semester.[11] A High School diploma or its equivalent is required to participate, but most students nevertheless begin with the College Program's non-credit preparatory courses in Mathematics and English.[12] Associate's degree course offerings have included Calculus, Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry,[8] English, and Composition.[13] 20 courses are offered per semester. Most courses are worth 3 credits, with 60 being required for graduation. Courses are student centered and culturally responsive, and Prison University Project staff assists instructors and tutors in maintaining these practices through trainings, syllabus consultation, and semester-long support. Students pay no fees or tuition. All textbooks and school supplies are provided by the program and through donations from publishers. As of 2018, 162 men had completed their degrees at San Quentin.

The College Program has been cited by both instructors and student inmates,[14] as well as corrections officers,[13] as exerting a positive influence on the lives of participants and improving their chances of contributing productively to society upon their release. Prison officials and inmates believe that the program helps make the environment inside San Quentin safer, and inmates and their families say that the program has inspired inmates' children to better educate themselves and help break the cycle of intergenerational crime and incarceration.[15]

References
  1. "Prison University Project Today". Prison University Project web page. Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  2. "A Visit To San Quentin". Larry King Live. 2006-06-07. CNN. Transcript. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. Fabros, Mellisa (2007). "UC Berkeley graduate students teach science at San Quentin". Berkeley Science Review (13): 20. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  4. "The San Francisco Public Library Hosts Who We Are: Essays and Photographs of Students at San Quentin State Prison". ILoveLibraries.org. American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  5. "Past Exhibitions at the Library - 2007". San Francisco Public Library web page. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  6. "IS IT SAFE? An Exhibition at Alcatraz". Prison University Project web page. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  7. Rix, Kate (September 2008). "San Quentin's Campus". The East Bay Monthly. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  8. Wang, Linda (October 2007). "Chemistry Behind Bars". Chemical & Engineering News. 85 (43): 17–22. doi:10.1021/cen-v085n043.p017. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  9. SpearIt. “Uncertainty Ahead: Update on Pell Grant Funding for Prisoners,” in The State of Criminal Justice 2017 (American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section 2017).
  10. "History and Background". Prison University Project web page. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  11. "Prison University at San Quentin Prison". Richmond Confidential. 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  12. "College Preparatory Program". Prison University Project web page. Archived from the original on 2007-12-04. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
  13. Bova, Carla (2007-04-21). "A 'zealot' for higher education wins award for teaching at San Quentin". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  14. "The promise of higher education at San Quentin". UC Berkeley News. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  15. "Inside San Quentin, Inmates Go To College". Morning Edition. 2011-06-20. NPR. Transcript. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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