Education (Q4 2012)

Featured beneficiary in the EDUCATION category for fourth quarter 2012:

PRISON UNIVERSITY PROJECT

The Prison University Project provides free, on-site education to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison in California. After the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act resulted in the withdrawal of funding from more than 300 prison education programs nationwide, representatives of UC Davis and Patten College initiated a small-scale program of only two classes at San Quentin, which has since grown into a full-scale program with more than 100 volunteers and more than 300 currently enrolled students.

Affectionately known as PUP to inmates and coordinators, the program offers 20 different courses each semester. Some of these are college preparatory courses in math and English, filling in the gaps in an inmate’s education, and some are college-level science, social studies, and humanities courses. Although PUP is affiliated with Patten University, it is funded entirely by donations. To date, more than 100 men have completed Associate of Arts degrees within the program, with even more students having continued their studies on the “outside” after parole.

The Prison University Project hopes to prepare prisoners for post-release employment and assist them to lead meaningful, productive lives, both in prison and in their communities. Its goals also involve creating a model that can be replicated and, importantly, stimulating public conversation about, and awareness of, the state of the criminal justice system and the role that education can play in it. Foundation Beyond Belief is thrilled to be working with an organization that is providing a vital second chance for prisoners, as well as raising important questions about incarceration and justice.