Prison Education Project - The University of Utah

We're planning another full semester with a fantastic lineup of classes, workshops, and guest lectures at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Faculty from BYU, Utah State, Utah Valley University, and the University of Utah are offering courses in art, history, law, music, and philosophy! In preparation for the fall, we're stocking up on supplies for students, including legal pads, pens, and notebooks. Please consider supporting or onsite programming by purchasing an item from Amazon Wish List if you are able.

View the University of Utah Prison Education Project Wish List here

Mission

Through a commitment to social transformation, UPEP advances educational equity through on-site higher education, empirical research, and advocacy.

01 HIGHER EDUCATION:

UPEP provides on-site college curriculum to two groups of students incarcerated in the Utah State Prison in Draper.

02 RESEARCH:

The Research Collaborative on Higher Education examines postsecondary education in prisons throughout the U.S.

03 ADVOCACY:

UPEP seeks to be a local, regional, and national leader in forging sustainable and mutually-beneficial prison-university partnerships that provide high quality and meaningful postsecondary opportunities for incarcerated people.

04 Justice Fellows:

The Justice Fellows summer program is new initiative that provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience working on social justice issues, such as access to education, legal representation, and community empowerment.

UPEP volunteer opportunities

Solidarity with Black Lives Matter Movement

The University of Utah Prison Education Project adamantly condemns the anti-Black violence that has added the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmed Arbery to the list of Black individuals who have been murdered by law enforcement and white supremacists. We stand in solidarity, love, and care for local and national Black communities, and join people from around the world in shared grief and rage. Read more...

Ways to Give

At this time, UPEP is a non-credit program. We are actively fundraising to cover costs associated with enrollment. All costs associated with attendance are covered by the Project. Incarcerated students are not asked to financially pay for participation in UPEP.

Give now

The holiday season can be especially difficult for incarcerated persons, separated from their homes, loved ones, and broader communities. We are eager to bring a little cheer and express our gratitude to our students for their efforts and sustained commitment to UPEP.

This year we are raising funds to help offset the costs of a meal we will be bringing inside the prison to mark the end of the fall semester as well as holiday care packages with items purchased from the commissary we hope to provide to every UPEP student.

A $15 dollar donation will cover the cost of one meal and $25 will cover a holiday care package for one student. Any amount, of course, is greatly appreciated. Any funds collected beyond what we can utilize for this event will be invested in school supplies for students next semester.

Thank you for keeping incarcerated folks and their loved ones on your mind this holiday season.

Donate to the Community Care Fund by clicking the button below:

UPEP Community Care Fund

Why higher education in prison?

Less than 5% of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in the U.S. have access to quality higher education. UPEP is working to change this reality. Check out our upcoming events and latest news here!

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Volunteer Hours

30 plus

Students

80 plus

Volunteers

Beyond Pell Restoration: Addressing Persistent Funding Challenges in Prison Higher Education Toward Racial and Economic Justice

Wednesday March 30, 2022

Beyond Pell Restoration

Leveraging the Power of Pell in Prison: Equity Challenges in Scaling the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative

Tuesday February 23, 2021

Power of Pell_ Article 2021 final

The Landscape of Postsecondary Education in U.S. Prisons, 2019

Wednesday November 20, 2019

Title: The Landscape of Postsecondary Education in U.S. Prisons, 2019. Description: The landscape of postsecondary education in U.S. Prisons, 2019. Research Brief. Salt Lake City, UT: Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison, University of Utah. Castro, E. L., Padilla, E. A., & Royer, C. E. (2019, Nov.)

students in class

The research collaborative on higher education in prison

Friday September 20, 2019

The Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison is part of the University of Utah Prison Education Project, a multi pronged approach to expand the field of quality higher education in prison. We work in collaboration with programs across the country to transform the landscape of higher education in prison through empirical research and collaboration […]

Support a Student

Support a UPEP student by donating today. To donate, simply click the button below.
Your donations help fund books, supplies, and faculty instruction costs.
To become involved as a UPEP volunteer, click below to learn more.

Volunteer Donate

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