NJ-STEP

Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons

July 24, 2023
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on NJ-STEP Grad Works to Prevent Violence, Trauma

NJ-STEP Grad Works to Prevent Violence, Trauma

NJ-STEP Alumnus Sammy Quiles was recently featured at Rutgers for his restorative justice work with the City of Newark in the Office of Violence Intervention and Trauma Recovery. Read full article here.

June 21, 2023
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on How College in Prison Changes Lives

How College in Prison Changes Lives

NJ-STEP Alumnus Dameon Stackhouse was featured in a recent article written by Nazish Dholakia and published by the Vera Institute. Follow the link to read the full piece: https://www.vera.org/news/how-college-in-prison-changes-lives.

January 10, 2022
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on Drew Theological School Committed to Restorative Justice and Reentry Efforts Through Education

Drew Theological School Committed to Restorative Justice and Reentry Efforts Through Education

Excerpted from https://drew.edu/stories Drew PREP, which has been offering classes in two New Jersey prisons for more than a decade, brings the Drew classroom into the prison setting with the goal of equally educating both incarcerated (“inside”) and Theological School … Continue reading

December 16, 2021
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on Drew University Extends the NJ-STEP Pipeline with Spring 2022 Launch of Master’s Level Pilot Program

Drew University Extends the NJ-STEP Pipeline with Spring 2022 Launch of Master’s Level Pilot Program

Excerpted from https://www.state.nj.us/corrections, 12/8/21 press release Drew University will be joining the consortium of degree-granting higher education institutions, which includes Rutgers University and Raritan Valley Community College, as part of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) … Continue reading

September 8, 2021
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on ‘Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act’ Would Remove Barriers To Higher Education For Americans With Criminal Justice System Involvement

‘Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act’ Would Remove Barriers To Higher Education For Americans With Criminal Justice System Involvement

From: https://www.insidehighered.com/ Advocates say now is the time for colleges and universities to move “beyond the box” and stop asking criminal history questions on admissions applications. A Senate bill would help make that happen… Click here for press release from … Continue reading

September 2, 2021
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on Residents of Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center receive education from Middlesex College

Residents of Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center receive education from Middlesex College

Excerpted from centraljersey.com Middlesex College students and Middlesex Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) residents are being uplifted by an expansion of R.I.S.E – Reaching Individual Success through Education  – a program serving an underserved population in the detention center. Thanks to … Continue reading

March 14, 2021
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on New Education Secretary Should Prioritize Implementation of Pell Grants for People in Prison

New Education Secretary Should Prioritize Implementation of Pell Grants for People in Prison

From: https://thehill.com Newly confirmed Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made some appealing promises during his confirmation hearing: Namely, that he would prioritize closing equity gaps and making education more attainable for all students. One of the most immediate ways he can accomplish … Continue reading

March 5, 2021
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on As Pell Grants Open Up for Incarcerated Students, Programs Ready for Growth

As Pell Grants Open Up for Incarcerated Students, Programs Ready for Growth

From: https://www.highereddive.com From tough-on-crime to Second Chance Pell The sweeping 1994 crime bill banned incarcerated people from obtaining Pell Grants. In 2015, the Obama administration launched the Second Chance Pell program, which former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos expanded … Continue reading

November 30, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on It’s Time to Finally Give Incarcerated People Access to Pell Grants

It’s Time to Finally Give Incarcerated People Access to Pell Grants

From: https://www.washingtonpost.com As the presidents of Claflin University and Langston University, two distinguished historically Black universities in America, we have seen firsthand how education provides a gateway to empowerment. As HBCUs, our schools share the core value of providing an … Continue reading

November 18, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on NJ-STEP Partner, Raritan Valley Community College’s RISE Program Highlighted in Community College Daily

NJ-STEP Partner, Raritan Valley Community College’s RISE Program Highlighted in Community College Daily

From: https://www.ccdaily.com Providing postsecondary education to incarcerated individuals can ensure former inmates will have an opportunity to a successful life when they are released. But setting up an education system inside prison walls – where there are major security considerations … Continue reading

September 28, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Why Liberal Arts Education for Currently Incarcerated People is a Sound Investment

Why Liberal Arts Education for Currently Incarcerated People is a Sound Investment

From: https://www.usatoday.com We should look to the humanities to help prisoners prepare for the business of living. What reaction does the term “prison education” evoke? For many, the immediate thought is vocational training with the goal of teaching inmates practical skills that … Continue reading

September 1, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on We Already Have a Tool That Lowers Crime, Saves Money and Shrinks the Prison Population

We Already Have a Tool That Lowers Crime, Saves Money and Shrinks the Prison Population

From: https://www.politico.com Dyjuan Tatro grew up in a poor neighborhood in Albany, N.Y., where gunshots were common and education inaccessible. Around 10th grade, Dyjuan dropped out and was selling drugs. A few years later, when he was 20, he was involved in … Continue reading

August 10, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Mountainview Alum Renaldo Chavis: Using Education to Transform and Empower

Mountainview Alum Renaldo Chavis: Using Education to Transform and Empower

From: https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/ Renaldo Chavis embodies the transformative power of education at Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N) and how it can help reshape one’s future.  The Newark native’s early roots began at Irvington High School in New Jersey.  There, he was removed and placed … Continue reading

August 6, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on NJ-STEP Community Mourns the Loss of Doris Buffett

NJ-STEP Community Mourns the Loss of Doris Buffett

From: https://fredericksburg.com The NJ-STEP community mourns the loss of philanthropist Doris Buffett. As an early supporter of college in prison in New Jersey, Doris’s vision and her foundation’s contributions made our current work possible.  Her positive impact on our families and … Continue reading

June 18, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on College Programs in Prisons Go Remote

College Programs in Prisons Go Remote

From: https://www.insidehighered.com With limited technology in their facilities, most college-in-prison programs moved to paper correspondence amid the pandemic. Others were suspended altogether. The benefits of college programs in prisons are well documented. Research shows that postsecondary programs can reduce recidivism … Continue reading

May 4, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Can College Programs in Prison Survive COVID-19?

Can College Programs in Prison Survive COVID-19?

From: https://www.themarshallproject.org When coronavirus kept college professors from teaching in person at Maine Correctional Facility, officials reconfigured a prison classroom to hold classes over Zoom using the Internet from an administrator’s computer. Officials at Saginaw Correctional Facility in Michigan waived … Continue reading

April 15, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on RU-N Chancellor Highlights Prison Ed in Call for Equality Based Pandemic Response

RU-N Chancellor Highlights Prison Ed in Call for Equality Based Pandemic Response

From: https://www.njspotlight.com Higher education — like every sector of our economy — is hurting badly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the current crisis has served to throw into sharp relief structural inequities that we have allowed to exist for … Continue reading

January 17, 2020
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on NJ-STEP Alum started his college education behind bars. Now he wants to help kids avoid prison.

NJ-STEP Alum started his college education behind bars. Now he wants to help kids avoid prison.

From: https://www.cbsnews.com/ Dameon Stackhouse was several years into his prison sentence when he learned he would have a shot at earning his college degree. He was 37 years old and sitting inside East Jersey State Prison. “You hear things, and … Continue reading

December 21, 2019
by Chris Agans
Comments Off on Incarcerated graduates say degrees help them “transcend” prison’s walls

Incarcerated graduates say degrees help them “transcend” prison’s walls

Courtesy of Tyler Kendall, cbsnews.com “Lavonta Bass’ khaki-colored prison uniform peeks out from beneath his cap and gown. Honor cords are draped around the 42-year-old’s neck. He has spent over a decade in prison but says he was fine delaying … Continue reading

September 23, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative awarded NSF grant to promote STEM careers

Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative awarded NSF grant to promote STEM careers

From: https://www.princeton.edu/ The Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI) at Princeton University is one of five organizations awarded a collaborative National Science Foundation grant to build a national alliance that will forge robust pathways to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers for people who are, … Continue reading

September 6, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Prison-to-Prosperity Pipeline

Prison-to-Prosperity Pipeline

From: https://news.camden.rutgers.edu It’s about being aware of your opportunities, your potential, and “the hidden treasure inside” of you, explains Darryl Brooks. There are days, says the recent Rutgers University–Camden graduate, when he will stand on the driveway of his Mount Laurel … Continue reading

July 10, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on After 25 Years, Why the Tide Turned for Pell Grants in Prisons

After 25 Years, Why the Tide Turned for Pell Grants in Prisons

From: https://www.chronicle.com Pell Grants for the incarcerated. The political tide is turning on “Pell Grants for prisoners.” A bipartisan groundswell is emerging to reverse the 25-year-old ban on allowing incarcerated people to receive support from the key student-aid program. A bill … Continue reading

June 26, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Unlocking HigherEd Releases Social Media Toolkit for Advocacy Efforts

Unlocking HigherEd Releases Social Media Toolkit for Advocacy Efforts

From: UHE Social Media Toolkit Unlock Higher Education is a coalition of stakeholders dedicated to advocating for policy solutions that increase educational access for  individuals with criminal convictions. Advocacy Efforts While this call-to-action can be used by anyone in any … Continue reading

May 29, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Tia Ryans Makes the Most of Her Second Chance

Tia Ryans Makes the Most of Her Second Chance

From: https://sasn.rutgers.edu Thirty-three-year-old Tia Ryans (SASN ’19) is not your traditional college graduate. A formerly incarcerated student who arrived at Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N) in 2015, she has walked a path no one should have to tread. But with laser-like focus and … Continue reading

May 28, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on NJ-STEP Alum Highlighted at RU-N Commencement

NJ-STEP Alum Highlighted at RU-N Commencement

From: https://us3.campaign-archive.com During this years commencement, Chancellor Nancy Cantor highlights the work of NJ-STEP and specifically a 2018 graduate Ron Pierce who served 30 years in prison. After referencing Ron and his work during his incarceration and after graduation, an applause … Continue reading

May 28, 2019
by Eric Pereira
Comments Off on Vera Institute Releases Final Report on Pathways Project

Vera Institute Releases Final Report on Pathways Project

From: https://www.vera.org NJSTEP, alongside programs from Michigan and North Carolina,  is featured in the Vera Institute’s final report on the Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary Education Project. This report describes the demonstration project’s design and implementation, the experiences of Pathways partners … Continue reading