Prison Education Program

Program Overview

The program emphasizes academic exploration, critical thinking, and transferable skills, preparing students for higher education and diverse career options upon release.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program provides incarcerated students in Connecticut with a strong liberal arts curriculum, allowing exploration across diverse disciplines and interests.

• Offer a transformative educational experience through a strong liberal arts curriculum.
• Support academic exploration and encourage the pursuit of diverse interests.
• Facilitate matriculation into two- and four-year degree programs.
• Create pathways for released students to continue their education on campus.

Program Description:

The Prison Education Program is a collaboration between the University of New Haven and the Yale Prison Education Initiative (YPEI). It offers incarcerated students the opportunity to earn college credit toward associate and bachelor's degrees. The program began in 2018 at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution and expanded to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury in 2022. Over 500 unique enrollments have been facilitated, with more than 130 faculty and staff members involved.

Outline:

The program offers a variety of courses across various disciplines, including:

• General Studies: This associate degree program provides a foundation in core subjects like English, mathematics, history, and social sciences.
• Interdisciplinary Studies: This bachelor's degree program allows students to design their own curriculum by selecting courses from various disciplines according to their interests and goals.

Teaching:

The program employs dedicated faculty members from both the University of New Haven and Yale University. These faculty members bring deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom, fostering a stimulating learning environment. All courses are offered in person within the correctional facilities.

Careers:

The program emphasizes the development of transferable skills valuable in various career paths.

Other:

The program has received recognition for its positive impact on incarcerated students. It has been featured in various media outlets, including NBC Connecticut and Eyewitness News 3 WFSB.