EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Prisoners in custody more than 20 years at East Moline Correctional Center will have an opportunity to enroll in a four-year Bachelor of Arts program through Augustana College.
The facility launched the Augustana Prison Education Program on Aug. 31 with a group of 10 students.
According to a Wednesday news release from Illinois Department of Corrections, students take classes from Augustana professors who teach the same courses on the main campus in Rock Island.
The program currently offers Communication Studies with more majors expected to be added in the future. The liberal arts curriculum includes history, literature, math, foreign languages, religion, science and the arts.
Illinois Department of Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys believes the program is useful for prisoners looking to make a positive change.
“A college degree is invaluable for individuals in custody who are committed to turning their lives around and ensuring financial stability for their families,” Jeffreys said. “Studies prove that prison education programs drastically decrease the likelihood of an individual recidivating, which is a primary goal of IDOC.”
The education program was modeled after the Bard Prison Initiative, which is featured in the 2019 PBS documentary "College Behind Bars."
“Just as with our traditional on-campus students, our incarcerated students will grapple with questions of what they know, how they relate to others and who they want to become," Vice President and Augustana Provost Dr. Wendy Hilston-Morrow said. "At Augustana, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become leaders in a diverse and changing world."
Students enrolled in the Augustana Prison Education Program do not have to pay tuition or any costs associated with the coursework. All costs are funded by the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation.
