The Alma College Prison Initiative

BRONWYN MCALINDON
STAFF WRITER

9/16/2024

President Jeff Abernathy is starting a new mission as he exits his time as the President of Alma College. In his Alma College Prison Initiative President Abernathy and twenty-seven other colleagues from Alma College are making a baccalaureate program for prisoners at Carson City Correctional Facility. 

“Bringing an Alma education to incarcerated students is an extension of this core work and of our mission to ‘prepare graduates who think critically, serve generously, live purposefully, and lead responsibly in a world they bequeath to future generations’,” said, President Jeff Abernathy. 

The new program is inspired by Alma’s consistent mindset of service within the local community.  It gives a new opportunity to a group of individuals that may not have access to this type of higher-level academics. This work will introduce the prisoners to a new level of education that is not commonly offered and will give them the opportunity to learn about many humanities topics in the American Studies program that will be offered. 

“We will offer only one major and all students in the initial cohort will take the same classes over four, to possibly five years. One joy about the program is that we will choose a major steeped in the liberal arts core of Alma College, enabling us to expand education in the humanities and the arts at a time of considerable decline in those areas nationally.” stated Abernathy. 

The program will offer the opportunity to experience a liberal arts education at the fullest ability. It will also better the lives of those working in this program, from educators to students.   

Abernathy continues, “This work is deeply impactful on those who are teaching: every faculty member across the country I have spoken with who has been involved with teaching in prison has described this work as some of the most powerful teaching they have ever done.”  

Many programs across the country are being created like this to help incarcerated individuals have an opportunity to receive a quality education from higher level courses.  These programs were created based on lower re-offense rates shown by students that have earned a degree in prison.  

“A key statistic that inspired me to do this work makes clear the impact of prison programs across the country: the ten-year recidivism rate for incarcerated persons across the country is over eighty percent. If a student earns a baccalaureate degree in prison, however, that figure is six percent!” said Abernathy. 

The program will also be further developed to be offered around multiple facilities in Michigan. 

“We will seek faculty approval of this prison-specific program in the coming year so that we can promote it state-wide next year,” said Abernathy.

For Jeff Abernathy, his new dedication to education on this level is inspired by his love of Alma College’s mission and his own personal belief about service to others. 

After Jeff Abernathy has stepped down from his run as president, he will continue to work as a professor within the program.  Provost Sean Burke will continue to direct the academic work involved in the program.  

“I cannot wait to see how the relationship between Alma College and the Carson City Correctional Facility develops and grows in the years ahead.” says Provost Sean Burke.