Four takeaways from our survey on college and career after prison

Takeaways are shared from the Open Campus survey on college and career after incarceration. They partnered with Jobs for the Future’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement to gather insights from nearly 100 formerly incarcerated people about their experiences with higher education and the job market.

Wayne State launches prison education program at Macomb state prison

Wayne State University's new Prison Education Program launches this fall at the Macomb Correctional Facility, making the Detroit university the newest member of the Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison. Wayne State’s addition to the program strengthens the statewide network of institutions working to ensure that incarcerated students can pursue a post-secondary education that prepares them for reentry into society and furthers their workforce goals.

The Data is Clear: College Still Matters

Post-secondary education remains one of the most reliable paths to economic mobility, civic engagement, and community stability. Students of color and those with disabilities are among the populations most at risk of being left behind in college access and success. Barriers include affordability concerns, lack of representation on campus, and systemic inequities in K-12 education.

Why I Teach in Prison

For more than a decade, I have facilitated prison programs and worked with individuals who have been impacted by the justice system. People assume I enter the prison, share knowledge and transform incarcerated students. That’s not the story I’m telling. The real transformation isn’t theirs. It’s mine.

From a correctional facility to an educational facility

A Michigan-born rehabilitation program is redefining incarceration. In Kalamazoo County, the Sheriff’s Office and a nonprofit organization’s collaboration are seeing early signs of success – but need more support to sustain it.

Teaching Men Who Will Never Leave Prison

In a maximum-security facility in upstate New York, students tackled Samuel Richardson’s “Clarissa” and Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” finding a sense of purpose that transcended ordinary coursework.

Wayne State adds educational program for prison inmates

Wayne State University has joined the Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP), becoming the 13th institutional member dedicated to expanding access to college degrees in state correctional facilities. The membership coincides with the launch of Wayne State’s new Prison Education Program (PEP), which will begin offering classes in fall 2025 at the Macomb Correctional Facility.

Paving the Way: Hope Forward and The Hope-Western Prison Education Program Graduates

It’s not an overstatement to say that Hope Forward changed my life. Being a part of Hope Forward gave me access to an education that would not otherwise have been financially accessible to me. I met students from the Hope-Western Prison Education Program (HWPEP), a program for incarcerated students in the Muskegon Correctional Facility, when we became pen pals.

Students find belonging in a Michigan prison

Artist and writer Alvin Smith, who was among last month’s graduates and a frequent contributor to College Inside, worked with his fellow students to put together this collection of reflections. These voices capture a moment when students realized they weren’t just “prisoner[s] taking a college class,” as one participant wrote, but actual students whose success mattered to an academic community that wouldn’t abandon them.

2025 HWPEP Commencement Highlights

Highlights from the 2025 Hope-Western Prison Education Program Commencement.