Upcoming Events

Summer Lecture Series at Cheshire CI:

July 21st: The Historical Roots of Islamaphobia, Peter Gottschalk, Professor of Religion

July 28th: Screenwriting Workshop, Steve Collins, Professor of Film

August 12th: Civil Rights and Legal Action, Theodore Shaw, Professor of Law

August 20th: Green the Ghetto- and how much it won't cost, Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Advocate

Mission

To advance Wesleyan's commitment to civic engagement by offering college courses to incarcerated individuals, in order both to enrich the lives of those who are systematically denied access to educational opportunities and to enhance Wesleyan's academic community.

Program

The Center for Prison Education offers a high-caliber liberal arts education inside prison walls. This September, the Center enrolled its first class of students--nineteen men at Cheshire Correctional Institution.  Over the next two years, these students will pursue a broad curricular sequence of Wesleyan courses in the humanities and the natural and social sciences. 

The Center also provides diverse research and volunteer opportunities for students on the main campus. Current undergraduates have the opportunity to collaborate closely with incarcerated men, women and youth through exciting new course offerings and workshops, and by serving as writing tutors and teaching assistants.

By fostering innovative and collaborative learning, the Center for Prison Education offers a dynamic approach to reduce rates of reincarceration and democratize access to educational opportunity.  As a two-year pilot initiative, the Center will go through a process of assessment and re-approval in 2011. The Center is a member of the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison at Bard College.