"Everyone Is Expected To Take Classes"
The state of Michigan is pioneering a smart-on-crime policy by transforming an entire correctional facility into a secure college campus, using $3.9 million approved by the state legislature.
The money will convert an unused industrial-size warehouse within a correctional facility in Lapeer, Michigan. Once completed, the building will feature not only classrooms but a computer room (without internet access), a library, and a café serving food for purchase by professors and students.
Classes will begin in the new campus building in 2026, and five Michigan colleges are looking forward to offering degree programs in an environment that looks and feels like a college setting, away from the trappings of prison bars. In fact, many schools have been offering some instruction for some prisoners for years, but this time everyone in this particular prison will be expected to take classes. Said James Burns, an incarcerated student, “I can’t wait until it’s finished. I’ll be able to focus on my studies without worrying about scheduling conflicts or gang riots on the yard. I’ll be able to dedicate 100% of my time to personal growth.”
To be eligible for enrollment, prisoners must be incarcerated at this medium-security prison and meet specific criteria, including good behavior and a minimum GPA. Even the prison staff members like the program. Said one, “You college students aren’t the ones causing trouble…you’re all trying to make something better of yourselves, and that’s what’s needed.”
One of the professors who has been teaching in prison said most students on a normal college campus spend time in class on their phones with their heads down. But students in prison are eager to learn and appreciate the opportunity. They are willing to ask questions and have a hunger for knowledge.
The fact is that many young people are not ready or interested in higher education when it’s offered. High school for some is a blur. But for all its faults, prison has a way of strengthening resolve and growing the desire for a better life, and most people know that education is the key. Said one man, “Walking into a classroom was like walking out of prison.”
A 2023 study published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice revealed that prison education leads to substantial reductions in recidivism and saves governments money. Michigan is putting $3.9 million into this project—that would be a drop in the bucket out of Indiana’s corrections budget and could be an experiment worth trying.
Let’s think bigger about providing educational opportunities, and bigger about job training for everyone who is incarcerated.
Education not only opens doors and reduces crime and recidivism, it also transforms lives, families, and communities.
We could do this,
Nancy
