This fall Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N) welcomes its first cohort of 10 students whose college careers began through the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) program. NJ-STEP, a statewide initiative administered by RU-N, works in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, the State Parole Board, and a network of public and private, two- and four-year colleges to provide higher education courses to eligible individuals who are incarcerated in one of New Jersey’s seven correctional facilities. The program also assists in the transition to college life of released students who demonstrate they are college-ready and eager to improve their lives.

Full article here: RU-N Welcomes Its First Cohort of NJ-STEP Students

Rutgers is expanding its program that helps transform lives by giving former prisoners a chance to earn a college degree.

Since its inception in 2005, the Mountainview program has enrolled 100 former inmates at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. They have graduated at a rate of 73.3 percent – slightly below the university’s six-year graduation rate of 77 percent for students pursuing bachelor’s degrees. The program’s graduates have an overall 3.1 grade point average, with one former inmate having attained a perfect 4.0.

Twenty-five have earned bachelor’s degrees, five have earned master’s degrees and 49 remain active students.

Full article here: The Mountainview program comes to Newark

Feds Launch Pilot College Program for Prisoners

Youth in Juvenile Facilities are Eligible for PELL Grants

3 New York Colleges to Drop Crime Queries for Applicants

NJ-STEP celebrates the graduation of 12 women at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility

NJ-STEP program wisely targets recedivism by educating prisoners

The College of New Jersey celebrates Governor Christie’s endorsement of NJ-STEP: “Gov. Christie voices support for TCNJ’s work in NJ-STEP”

The Pace Center at Princeton University was a prominent partner at the Governor Christie’s press conference to endorse NJ-STEP.

NJ-STEP received it’s most prominent endorsement today from Governor Christie.

Address mass incarceration, save black communities

NJ should invest in college for prison inmates

By improving N.J. education, we can narrow the school-to-prison pipeline

NJ-STEP prison scholarship program transforms lives

Learn more about the NJ-STEP program and our partners: “NJ-STEP program offers college credit classes to state prison inmates”

A Meta-Analysis of Programs That Provide Education to Incarcerated Adults

Educating an inmate reduces their odds of recidivism by 43 percent.