Mission

The mission of the Prison Education Program is to provide transformative education for our neighbors who are incarcerated and returning from incarceration.

Rationale

  • MISSION: In the outworking of Eastern’s tenants of faith, reason, and justice, this educational program will have a transformative impact on individuals and communities.
  • MARKET: Many incarcerated persons recognize the transformative nature of education and are hungry to learn and earn credentials that will help them grow, and improve their success in reentry.
  • MANDATE: In 2016 Eastern University signed the Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge, a commitment to reducing barriers to higher education for individuals with criminal records.

Why Give?

  • 95% of incarcerated people are coming home.
  • Recidivism goes down over 43% among those who receive postsecondary education.
  • Lives of inside students are transformed for the better, and there is a positive effect on the entire prison environment.
  • Released persons are 13% more likely to obtain employment.
  • By 2020, 65% of all jobs will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school.
  • People of faith and conscience are called to reach out in redemptive ways to those in prison.

Give to the Prison Education Program

Donate Now! Become a Prison Education Program Club Donor

Program Goals

Workshops and Seminars

Supporting reentry for incarcerated persons (i.e. Life Skills Workshops, Soft & Hard Skills).

Inside-Out Classes

Traditional students and inside students take courses together at a correctional facility.

Degree Education

Men at SCI Chester would have the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts degree.

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“Education in prison allowed me to regain my humanity and gave me hope for my future. It helped change my trajectory. ”

David Garlock, '17

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