Opinion: Michigan Is Proving That College in Prison Works. Now It's Time to Build What's Next.

For too long, prison has been viewed as the end of someone’s story. Across Michigan, 12 colleges and universities are proving something different: prison can be the place where a new chapter begins. Higher education in prison is no longer a pilot project or a niche experiment. It has become one of Michigan’s most promising investments in public safety, workforce development, and community well-being.

MiCHEP Receives $2.6 Million Investment to Expand Higher Education Opportunities for Incarcerated Students Across Michigan

The Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP) has received a $2.6 million investment from Ascendium Education Group to expand and strengthen higher education opportunities for incarcerated students across Michigan. The three-year grant will support MiCHEP’s growth from a coordinating consortium into a statewide support organization focused on improving student success, strengthening partnerships, sharing resources, and building sustainable infrastructure for higher education in prison programs.

Lakeland inmates earn KCC degrees

Twenty-three incarcerated men at Lakeland Correctional Facility celebrated a major academic milestone last week, as they became the first cohort to earn business degrees and certificates from Kellogg Community College. The milestone ceremony mirrored traditional commencements by featuring caps and gowns, speeches, and a walk across the stage in front of visiting family and friends.

Michigan prison education programs draw statewide leaders as demand far outpaces availability

More than 150 higher education and corrections leaders gathered at Calvin University in Grand Rapids Thursday for a statewide conference focused on expanding college programs inside Michigan prisons — an effort organizers say is transforming lives, reducing crime and saving taxpayers millions.

Michigan prison education leaders celebrate progress in higher education programs

Michigan leaders in prison education met to discuss strategies for expanding post-secondary education within the state’s prison system at the Michigan Higher Education in Prison Conference Thursday, June 4, where officials highlighted significant growth and record-low recidivism rates. The gathering brought together representatives from the Michigan Department of Corrections and 14 post-secondary partner institutions.

MDOC and Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison Members Discuss Success and Next Steps

MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington spoke today at the Michigan Higher Education in Prison Conference where Michigan leaders in prison education gathered to discuss strategies to further post-secondary education initiatives within Michigan’s state prison system. Conference highlights and program information showcase the efficacy and impact of Michigan's prison education programs.

Michigan Colleges, Department of Corrections Convene for Statewide Prison Education Conference at Calvin

On Thursday, June 4, the significant impact of prison education will come into clearer focus at the “Michigan Higher Education in Prison Conference.” Co-hosted by the Calvin Prison Initiative and MiCHEP, the conference will bring together higher education and corrections leaders, staff, and incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals from across the state to share best practices for building and sustaining thriving learning communities.

Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison announces founding president

The Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP) has appointed Jeff Abernathy as the organization’s founding president. Jeff Abernathy brings executive leadership, coalition-building, fundraising and a student-centered commitment to building durable statewide infrastructure for college-in-prison programs to the role

The Metro: He served 23 years. Now he’s helping the next generation earn a degree behind bars

Twenty-five incarcerated men at Macomb Correctional Facility have started working toward a Wayne State bachelor’s degree. It’s paid for by federal aid Congress had blocked for nearly 30 years. We asked Jonathan Roden — who served 23 years himself — whether it changes who walks out.

Build pathways home: Why Michigan’s college-in-prison expansion matters now

Higher education prison is a public good, one that strengthens families, communities, and the workforce. Opportunities arise for individuals who go through these programs, helping them better their lives and their communities. That’s why Michigan’s moment right now matters so much. The public conversation often treats education in prison as a debate about whether people “deserve” it. This framing misses the point and lets systems’ off the hook. The better question is whether Michigan is serious about building communities where more people come home ready to contribute, provide, and thrive.