From commercial truck driving to business degrees, Michigan offers prisoners an education

Three "vocational village" programs are highlighted, where students learn skilled trades in a specialized community setting. From truck driving, to robotics, to cosmetology, these trade programs help students thrive within and outside of prison.

From Pilot To Program, Educating Prisoners In Michigan

MDOC Director Heidi Washington, WMU Higher Education for the Justice Involved (HEJI) Director Dale Brown, HEJI Program Coordinator McGwire Hidden, and HEJI Student Success Coordinator Sacelia Strong-Sangster discuss the scale, scope, and impact of Prison Education Programs throughout the state.

Women are finding hope in this Eastern Michigan University prison program

Jacara Moore and Nicole Ortiz-Garcia discuss their time as students at the Eastern Michigan University College in Prison program, which offers inmates at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility the chance to pursue bachelor’s degrees and explore courses in over 15 fields, and the impact it's made on their lives.

Inaugural class of EMU College in Prison program celebrates graduation

The students, currently incarcerated at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, are the first in Michigan to receive bachelor’s degrees while in prison.

Eastern Michigan University gives female inmates a second chance in education

Twelve graduates in total received their diplomas for bachelor's degrees through Eastern Michigan University, led by Director Meghan Lechner. She says the curriculum here is the same as it would be on EMU’s campus. Morgan Rowley has been an inmate at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility for nine years, and on Thursday, she added a college graduate to her title.

Over 250 Michigan inmates graduate from college while behind bars

Over 250 Michiganders have graduated from college or a post-secondary school while behind bars this year. It’s the most inmates graduating in one year. On Thursday, Sept. 18, the Michigan Department of Corrections held its largest graduation ceremony to date. The event was at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, with 70 women graduating with associates or bachelor’s degrees from Jackson College and Eastern Michigan University.

Federal law restoring Pell Grants is changing lives of incarcerated individuals in Michigan

Because of a 2023 change in federal law allowing incarcerated individuals to access Pell Grants, Wayne State University is one of the first in Michigan to launch a four-year bachelor's degree program at Macomb Correctional Facility. They’ve enrolled a cohort of 24 incarcerated students to get a degree in sociology with a minor in entrepreneurship. Patrick Brown, director of adult student achievement at the Michigan College Access Network, explains the significance of the policy change.

How I Went From Prison to Tenure

Stanley Andrisse discusses his journey from being incarcerated for ten years to earning tenure at the Howard University College of Medicine. "People like me are often seen as redemption stories, not as faculty material. But what if lived experience with injustice is not a liability, but a credential? What if the strength it takes to rebuild a life is the very evidence of excellence that tenure is meant to recognize?"

Capped, Gowned, and Transformed

The Hope-Western Prison Education Program celebrates eleven graduates with anecdotes, student profiles, and stories of success and pride.

From the Inside Out

Alec Piper tells his story about finding hope and purpose through the Calvin Prison Initiative, while program staff discuss how program graduates parole successfully, find roles in leadership, and rediscover life.