Emerson College Library: Education in Prison: Home

What is Education in Prison?

Education in Prison (or College in Prison) programs like Emerson's own Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI) provide incarcerated people with the opportunity to earn a full college degree with the same level of rigor and accreditation as they could expect on campus outside of prison. EPI distinguishes between the concepts of "education in prison," which it offers, and "prison education," which encompasses other educational programs that are run internally by the Department of Corrections or other prison authorities. There are a wide range of documented benefits to education in prison, like significant reductions in recidivism (the rate at which formerly incarcerated people return to prison after their release) and improved employment prospects for graduates, as well as less tangible benefits like greater intellectual agency and critical self-knowledge, which help to create healthier communities both inside and outside of prison.

Education Behind the Wall by Mneesha Gellman (Editor)
An edited volume reflecting on different aspects of teaching in prison and different points of view. This book seeks to address some of the major issues faced by faculty who are teaching college classes for incarcerated students. Composed of a series of case studies meant to showcase the strengths and challenges of teaching a range of different disciplines in prison, this volume brings together scholars who articulate some of the best practices for teaching their expertise inside alongside honest reflections on the reality of educational implementation in a constrained environment.
Unlocking Learning
How can people involved in carceral interventions learn from work in carceral settings outside the United States? This volume addresses this question by gathering international perspectives to the field of education in prison that could inform carceral interventions elsewhere, including in the United States.

Emerson Prison Initiative Language Guidelines
Recognizing the power of language to shape both public perception and self-image, this brief guide offers EPI's recommendations and rationale for what language to use when discussing people who are incarcerated and education in prison.

Opinion: Something Wonderful Is Happening in American Prisons. Really.
Bard Prison Initiative founder and executive director Max Kenner highlights the benefits of college in prison programs and emphasizes the importance of funding sources like Pell Grants to allow them to flourish and grow.
Education Opportunities in Prison Are Key to Reducing Crime
This article by Kathleen Bender of the Center for American Progress lays out the robust logical argument for education in prison, including its notable impact on recidivism as well as the resulting savings and economic benefits.

Education in Prison at Emerson

Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI) provides a rigorous liberal arts education to individuals incarcerated at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk (MCI-Norfolk; prior to 2023 the campus was located at MCI-Concord). EPI acts on the knowledge that college in prison can interrupt the cycle of incarceration. The program offers the same courses taught on Emerson’s main campus, taught by Emerson faculty as well as guest faculty from other local colleges, and bearing official Emerson credits. EPI provides a pathway to an Emerson College Bachelor of Arts in Media, Literature, and Culture, a degree that combines Emerson’s unique strengths in media studies, literary studies, and the liberal arts. To read more, visit the Emerson Prison Initiative website.

EPI was founded in 2017, but Emerson faculty worked with incarcerated students as far back as the early 1950s, when Coleman Bender and Haig der Marderosian coached the debate team at Norfolk Prison Colony. This story is explored in the Emerson Archives digital exhibit Emerson's History of Prison Education, which was accompanied for several years by a poster display in Iwasaki Library.

Emerson is a member of the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison.