Year 1 (2025) Awardee Profiles
The Boston College Prison Education Program
About the program: The Boston College Prison Education Program (BCPEP) is an Applied Liberal Arts BA program currently serving incarcerated students at a medium-security prison in Shirley, MA. As the largest higher education in prison program in the state of Massachusetts, they have admitted over 90 students into their program. BCPEP is committed to serving the academic and career objectives of their students, prioritizing a humanistic, formative approach to teaching, learning, community building, and student development.
About the funded project: Boston College will assess, design, and begin testing an expansion of its Pell-eligible Bachelor of Arts program for incarcerated students—the Boston College Prison Education Program (BCPEP)—to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Framingham (MCI-Framingham), the Commonwealth’s only women’s prison. This effort aims to address a critical gap in degree-granting opportunities for incarcerated women in Massachusetts.
“The NEPEC Accelerator Grant will be pivotal in allowing BCPEP to expand access to high-quality, college-level learning for incarcerated women in ways that are both academically rigorous and responsive to students’ needs and goals. This support enables us not only to sustain but to deepen our commitment to educational justice—creating meaningful opportunities for intellectual growth, community connection, and long-term support for our students.” – Patrick Conway, Ignacio Chair and BCPEP Program Director.
Quinnipiac University Prison Education and Community Engagement Lab
About the program: The Prison Education and Community Engagement Lab at Quinnipiac University is an interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, students, and allies driven to improve social justice and reduce mass incarceration with education, advocacy and reentry work. Together, the program promotes humane treatment and inspires transformative change for those with lived experience of incarceration.
About the funded project: The Prison Education and Community Engagement Lab at Quinnipiac will expand its prison education offerings into a fully degree-granting pathway while establishing robust reentry supports for incarcerated learners. This project will construct the systems, staffing, and structures necessary for Quinnipiac to become a Pell-eligible, degree-conferring provider of higher education in prison, with a focus on providing a baccalaureate option at a facility (Carl Robinson Correctional Institution) where no four-year option exists.
“Quinnipiac University is honored to be selected for the NEPEC Accelerator Grant. This recognition reflects the innovative and collaborative work of our Prison Education and Community Engagement Lab, whose efforts are advancing practical, community-informed solutions to pressing challenges across our region. Their work exemplifies our university’s mission to foster engaged citizenship, academic excellence, and meaningful contributions to the public good.” – Debra Liebowitz, University Provost.
Roger Williams University’s Extension School
About the program: Since 2015 Roger Williams University’s Extension School (RWU EXT) has partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to deliver a comprehensive, accredited Prison Education Program across all six state facilities. The Pivot the Hustle program is a reentry program designed to support eligible, soon-to-be released incarcerated men and women to prepare them for employment and career paths that lead to self-sufficiency. The innovative and results-driven program is designed to help incarcerated individuals garner skills for successful re-entry into the workforce and employment in the 18 months leading up to their release.
About the funded project: Roger Williams University will expand the Pivot the Hustle (PTH) program that unites four key partners: The Center for Mediation & Collaboration RI, Infinitely Free to Be, the Reentry Campus Program, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC). This collaboration aims to deliver a holistic, trauma-informed, and credit-bearing reentry education experience to incarcerated learners across three Rhode Island correctional facilities: the Anthony P. Travisono Intake Service Center, where no programming currently exists; the Rhode Island State Minimum Security facility; and the John J. Moran Medium Security Facility.
“Through the Roger Williams University Extension School, we are committed to creating innovative and accessible educational pathways for underserved populations. RWU is thrilled to be launching this new initiative with long-standing and new partners, The Center for Mediation & Collaboration Rhode Island, Reentry Campus Program, Infinitely Free to Be, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. This collaborative effort to expand the Pivot the Hustle program will amplify RWU’s work to deliver postsecondary education through a comprehensive, trauma-informed reentry strategy and prepare individuals for meaningful lives and careers.” – Ioannis Miaoulis, University President.
Washington County Community College
About the program: Washington Country Community College (WCCC) began their partnership with the Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) at Southern Maine Women’s Re-Entry Center (SMWRC) in late fall of 2018 delivering online courses in Production Technology through their workforce division. WCCC currently provides Prison Education Programs through online course delivery at four institutions in the State of Maine: Southern Maine Women’s Re-Entry Center (SMWRC) in Windham, The Women’s Center (WC) in Windham, Mountain View Correctional Facility (MVCF) in Charleston, and Downeast Correctional Facility (DCF) in Machiasport.
About the funded project: Washington County Community College will use Accelerator Grant funds to expand its Prison Education Program by launching a suite of free stackable, online computer technology certificates, which will evolve into a Pell-eligible associate degree in 2026. This project will create Maine’s first fully online academic pathway in computer technology for incarcerated learners across five state correctional facilities. This project will incorporate substantial reentry and job-readiness support.
“This grant is an important step forward in expanding educational access for justice-involved learners to gain in-demand tech skills. Through innovative online education and dedicated reentry support, we’re building pathways to success that will transform lives and strengthen Maine’s workforce.” – Dr. Tyler Stoldt, Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services.
White Mountains Community College
About the program: White Mountains Community College’s (WMCC) Prison Education Program at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility provides incarcerated students the opportunity to earn associate degrees through on-site instruction. Launched in 2023 as a Second Chance Pell site, the program focuses on educational pathways to reentry. In 2024, WMCC joined the Corrections Education and Vocational Planning Group (CEVPG), which was established under SB376 (RSA 651-A:22-b) to support the expansion of statewide prison education programming.
About the funded project: White Mountains Community College will use the grant to launch a coordinated, statewide prison education initiative by hiring a Prison Education Project Director who will report to the President and work to expand degree offerings from the Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility (NNHCF) to the two facilities in Concord: the New Hampshire Correctional Facility for Men and the New Hampshire Correctional Facility for Women. This role will also collaborate with stakeholders from the University System of New Hampshire (UNH) to support building out a 2+2 bachelor’s degree pathway from the existing associate degree curriculum at NNHCF.
“White Mountains Community College is honored to be selected as a recipient for the NEPEC Accelerator Grant. This funding builds on the strong foundation we’ve already established and positions us to significantly expand our impact. Having dedicated leadership for prison education will allow us to leverage our experience more strategically and pursue exciting new partnerships that can truly benefit our students. It’s an investment in doing this important work better, and we’re eager to see what becomes possible.” – Leah Maciejewski, Vice President of Academic Affairs.