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The Prison Education Initiative is powered by a cross-campus, interdisciplinary group of faculty, students, and community partners who are engaged in prison education, research and teaching and who support equity and access to higher education.

The PEI, with offices in the Department of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, offers tuition-free UMass courses inside local jails, including “inside-out” courses that enroll UMass students and incarcerated students. The PEI also works to clear pathways for formerly incarcerated students to continue their education at UMass or in a community college setting and provides research, teaching, and community engagement opportunities for faculty and students interested in social justice and education.

Your contribution to our Minute Fund will support our efforts to:

• Purchase course books for incarcerated students
• Provide transportation for UMass students to attend classes in the jail with their incarcerated classmates
• Create internships and paid opportunities for formerly incarcerated students to gain valuable work experience and to contribute to the work of the PEI.
• Train UMass students to provide academic support to people pursuing a college degree while incarcerated.

Every dollar makes a difference in the work that we do.  Your contribution at any level is deeply appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your generosity and for sharing the link to our PEI Minute Fund with friends and family who may be interested in learning more about us and supporting our work.