Our Mission
The University of Utah Prison Education Project (UPEP) seeks to transform the field of higher education in prison through quality education, research, and outreach. We foster a culture of sustained and rigorous academic inquiry inside two facilities in the Utah State Prison in Draper, Timpanogos and Wasatch. We work to create lasting impact in our state and communities by investing in people and providing them the tools necessary for empowerment and lifelong learning.
Our People
Director and Co-Founder: Dr. Erin L. Castro
Dr. Erin L. Castro is Director and Co-Founder of UPEP and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on postsecondary educational opportunity during incarceration through university-prison partnerships. She is a Strategic Organizing Member of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
Leadership Team:
Erin L. Castro, Director & Co-Founder
Cindy Fierros, Associate Director, Programming
Sarah Manley, Coordinator, Curriculum & Resource Room
Rachel Aho, Coordinator, Grants & Communication
Estefanie Aguilar-Padilla, Graduate Research Assistant
Caisa Royer, PHD, JD, Postdoctoral fellow
Engagement Team:
Whitney Hills, Graduate Intern, Campus Engagement & Prison Lecture Series
Elliot Morris, Staff Volunteer, Admissions
Natalie Pinkney, Staff Volunteer, Admissions
Maria Alberto, Graduate Intern, Admissions
Kehau Folau, Staff Volunteer, Re-Entry
Student Intern Team:
Estefanie Aguilar-Padilla, Undergraduate Intern, School for Social and Cultural Transformation
Erin Feeley, Undergraduate Intern & Co-Founder, College of Education/Honors College
Grayson Hull, Undergraduate Intern, College of Social & Behavioral Science
Matthew Hollman, Undergraduate Intern, School of Business
Hans Liu, Undergraduate Volunteer & Co-Founder, College of Social & Behavioral Science/Honors College
Bryn Dayton, Undergraduate Volunteer, College of Engineering
Doug Nagie, Undergraduate Volunteer & Co-Founder, College of Humanities
Diana Bahena, Graduate Volunteer, Correspondence & Communications
Julie Olaf, Graduate Volunteer, College of Social Work
Edén Cortez, Graduate Volunteer, College of Education
Outreach Ambassadors:
Anna Garcia
Eliza McKinney
Emi Ataata
Kehau Folau
Alex Lake
Research Collaborative:
Erin L. Castro, Director & Co-Founder
Caisa Royer, JD, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Our History
UPEP grew out of the 2016-2017 Honors Praxis Lab, Education, Incarceration, and Justice. The creation of UPEP is the result of much collaboration, and this collaboration is ongoing. We have worked in partnership with prominent college-in-prison programs across the country to build the infrastructure for UPEP and have designed UPEP in accordance with best practices established by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, a coalition of quality college-in-prison programs, to provide quality higher education in Draper.
Our Partners
Faculty, staff, students, and community members are integral to the success and longevity of UPEP. We are thankful for support from our many partners and donors:
CONTACT US
1721 Campus Center Drive, SAEC 2220
c/o Dr. Erin L. Castro
Salt Lake City, UT 84112