Prison University Project
Encyclopedia
The Prison University Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
which supports the College Program at San Quentin State Prison
, an associate's degree
program which is the only on-site college
program in any prison
in the U.S. state
of California
. Courses are taught by volunteers, most of them graduate students, instructors, and faculty members from San Francisco Bay Area
colleges and universities. Degrees are awarded by Patten University
.
The Prison University Project also provides guidance to student inmates, as well as disseminating information on prison education
to the public at large. From November 2007 to January 2008 it organized an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library
, including photographs by Heather Rowley of everyday scenes at San Quentin and essays by students in the College Program about their experiences; a similar exhibition on Alcatraz Island
ran from June 1 to October 22, 2008.
, which made it illegal for prisoners to receive Pell Grant
s, reducing the number of college degree-granting programs in United States
prisons from its peak of over 350 to fewer than 10. The College Program at San Quentin was founded in fall of 1996, based entirely on volunteer teaching and organization. As the College Program expanded and efforts to raise funds increased, the Prison University Project was founded in 2003 "to provide material, administrative, and financial support to the College Program at San Quentin."
diploma
or its equivalent is required to participate, but most students nevertheless begin with the College Program's non-credit preparatory courses in Mathematics and English. Associate's degree course offerings have included Calculus, Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, English, and Composition. 19 courses are offered per semester. Most courses are worth 3 credits, with 60 being required for graduation. As of October 2007, 68 inmates had completed their degrees at San Quentin.
The College Program has been cited by both instructors and student inmates, as well as corrections officers, as exerting a positive influence on the lives of participants and improving their chances of contributing productively to society upon their release. Prison officials and inmates believe that the program helps make the environment inside San Quentin safer, and inmates and their families say that the program has inspired inmates' children to better educate themselves and help break the cycle of intergenerational crime and incarceration.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
which supports the College Program at San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
, an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
program which is the only on-site college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
program in any prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Courses are taught by volunteers, most of them graduate students, instructors, and faculty members from San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
colleges and universities. Degrees are awarded by Patten University
Patten University
Patten University is a private institution of higher education in Oakland, California.The school was founded in 1944 by evangelical preacher Dr. Bebe Patten as the Oakland Bible Institute, and was affiliated with the Christian Evangelical Churches of America, a denomination established by Dr. Bebe...
.
The Prison University Project also provides guidance to student inmates, as well as disseminating information on prison education
Prison education
Prison education, by Daryl Kuissi also known as Inmate Education and Correctional Education, is a very broad term that encompasses any number of educational activities occurring inside a prison. These educational activities include both vocational training and academic education...
to the public at large. From November 2007 to January 2008 it organized an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
, including photographs by Heather Rowley of everyday scenes at San Quentin and essays by students in the College Program about their experiences; a similar exhibition on Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
ran from June 1 to October 22, 2008.
Background
The Prison University Project has its origins in the aftermath of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement ActViolent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, , , was an act of Congress dealing with crime and law enforcement that became law in 1994. It is the largest crime bill in the history of the US at 356 pages and will provide for 100,000 new police officers, $9.7 billion in funding for prisons and...
, which made it illegal for prisoners to receive Pell Grant
Pell Grant
A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...
s, reducing the number of college degree-granting programs in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prisons from its peak of over 350 to fewer than 10. The College Program at San Quentin was founded in fall of 1996, based entirely on volunteer teaching and organization. As the College Program expanded and efforts to raise funds increased, the Prison University Project was founded in 2003 "to provide material, administrative, and financial support to the College Program at San Quentin."
The College Program at San Quentin
About 300 student inmates are enrolled in the College Program at San Quentin each semester. A High SchoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
or its equivalent is required to participate, but most students nevertheless begin with the College Program's non-credit preparatory courses in Mathematics and English. Associate's degree course offerings have included Calculus, Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, English, and Composition. 19 courses are offered per semester. Most courses are worth 3 credits, with 60 being required for graduation. As of October 2007, 68 inmates had completed their degrees at San Quentin.
The College Program has been cited by both instructors and student inmates, as well as corrections officers, as exerting a positive influence on the lives of participants and improving their chances of contributing productively to society upon their release. Prison officials and inmates believe that the program helps make the environment inside San Quentin safer, and inmates and their families say that the program has inspired inmates' children to better educate themselves and help break the cycle of intergenerational crime and incarceration.