Advocacy:
Higher Education in prison resources
UPEP models itself in accordance with best practices laid out by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison. The Alliance is a national organization dedicated to supporting the expansion of quality higher education in prison, empowering students in prison and after release, and shaping public discussion about education and incarceration.
Each year UPEP attends the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison. The conference provides its stakeholders, including educators and students, activists, policy experts, higher education administrators, employees of the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and more, a collaborative venue and a rare once-in-a-year opportunity to share space and engage in constructive dialogue about the higher education in prison landscape.
National Peer Programs:
UPEP continues to collaborate, problem solve, and draw inspiration from quality higher education in prison programs across the nation. We are grateful for many of the below programs for sharing resources and advice in building our partnerships here in Utah. Check out the great work they are doing below:
Education Justice Project University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Community Education Project Stetson University
Freedom Education Project at Puget Sound
Education Justice Project University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Alabama Prison Arts + Education Program
Auburn University Saint Louis Prison Education Program
Chillon Project at Life University
Other Support Programs:
Programs to support students with incarceration and systems-impacted histories
UPEP seeks to support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in their higher education pathways. We are keeping an eye out for initiatives that support students in higher education who have incarceration, criminal conviction, and systems-impacted histories. Please check out the following groups, and connect with us if you are doing this important work in our state or region:
Are you a student?
Are you a student or potential student who has been directly impacted by incarceration? If you are looking for guidance regarding accessing higher education, including applying to college and for financial aid, please connect with us.