We’re still in prison! The University of Oregon's Prison Education Program (PEP) continues to make learning opportunities available for students from campus and for those who are incarcerated. Participants from both sides of the prison wall regularly tell us that being involved with our program is a transformative experience unlike any other, and we are regularly listed as the best course they’ve ever taken.
“I’m sure I echo other former students when I say that the Inside-Out program had a profound impact on my life. I talk about it all the time. It steered my career goals in a more hands-on direction and highlighted the importance of being “on the ground” with my values. I feel sort of steeped in my work as the Lead Healthcare Associate and want to continue this as a nurse practitioner.” - L.D., Class of 2024
Background
The UO has offered Inside-Out courses for campus-based students to learn alongside incarcerated students within prison walls since 2007. Inside-Out classes create a paradigm shift for participants, encouraging transformation in individuals and, in so doing, serve as an engine for social change. Through innovative programming, incarcerated people in Oregon are able to learn and engage with each other, UO faculty, and campus-based or “outside” students.
“My Inside-Out experience reaffirmed my belief in the value of education… Truly, more than any other class I've ever been a part of, it showed me the transcendent power of knowledge and discourse within a group of dedicated, open-minded, enthusiastic individuals.” - Kyra, Class of 2022
Key Facts
- Since 2007, more than 1,000 campus-based students and 1,500 incarcerated students have participated.
- Prison education participants are 43% less likely to return to prison.
- UO has one of the largest Inside-Out programs, of more than 150 worldwide.
- Many of our inside students have their first encounter with higher education through our work, opening up new perspectives on learning in a variety of formats.
- Some of our students are able to earn a college degree while incarcerated.
- Every $1 invested in prison education saves $4-$5 in reincarceration costs
Building Leaders and Providing Leadership
PEP students excel inside and out, and they play influential roles as students. Within the prisons many of our participants are leading figures in the civic, artistic, and academic life of those institutions, while here on campus we have club leaders, ASUO presidents, prestigious award winners (including our most recent Rhodes Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa winners, and many others). Our program is also active in providing leadership and contributing to the growth of prison education in Oregon and beyond. PEP Director Shaul Cohen is currently the chair of the Oregon Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, is on the national Executive Committee of Inside-Out, and is a co-facilitator of their international new instructor training; he also continues to serve on advisory and work groups created by the Oregon Legislature, the Department of Corrections, and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Our program was also recently invited to join the BIG10 Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, and we offer consultation there and around the nation. Our amazing cadre of interns also provides leadership through their service at Sponsors, Inc., a nationally-leading prison reentry program located in west Eugene.
Help us continue to grow
PEP courses come from across the university, with participating faculty from Geography, Political Science, Legal Studies, English, Math, Education, and others. Whatever the topic, we’ve got far more applicants than we have space for and we’re eager to grow! We also continue to offer PEP TV (television recordings from campus that are shown in all of the state prisons in Oregon) and our Learning, Education, and Activities Packets for those in solitary confinement at the state’s maximum security prison and the women’s prison in Wilsonville. And though we’re VERY busy, there is always room for more.
Now is the time for you to donate to the Prison Education Program. Your support will be invaluable and will allow us to expand existing programs and create new opportunities. With each dollar donated, you will enhance future prospects for incarcerated people in Oregon and increase access to this remarkable educational environment for campus students, our faculty, and members of the community. Your donation also demonstrates support for this innovative educational program, and its unique place on campus and in the prisons.
We thank you for your contribution to the Prison Education Program!
