Resources
Prison Policy Initiative is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that spearheads research and advocacy regarding over-criminalization in the United States. Here you'll find reports on many subjects in the criminal legal system and comparative data from different states.
Founded in 1961, the Vera Institute of Justice is a national organization committed to transforming the criminal justice system. The US Department of Education has partnered with Vera to help roll out the Second Chance Pell experiment that brought back access to Pell funding for incarcerated learners. Visit their website for more information on their mission to put an end to mass incarceration for people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty.
Alliance for Higher Education in Prison strives to make higher education accessible to both currently and formerly incarcerated individuals across the nation. Their annual conference brings together prison education practitioners from across the nation.
Illinois Coalition for Higher Ed in Prison (IL-CHEP) is composed of HEP programs in Illinois that have banded together to share resources and join forces to make higher education accessible to incarcerated individuals.
Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) is a ground-breaking liberal arts degree-granting program originally started by Bard College undergraduates and featured in the documentary College Behind Bars. APEP is a proud member of BPI’s Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison.
"Higher Education in Prison to the incarcerated
is like learning to read was to the enslaved"
Angel E. Sanchez
DOJ-BJA Fellow