TEJI Establishes Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison

TEJI Establishes Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison

The Educational Justice Institute (TEJI) at MIT has partnered with the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) to establish the Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, co-chaired by Lee Perlman (TEJI) and Michael Thomas (NEBHE). The inaugural meeting of the Commission was held on October 14 at MIT’s innovative design space, the Hacker Reactor. The Commission is comprised of higher education administrators, corrections leaders, and diverse stakeholders representing all six New England states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine including legislators from all the New England states. Members will meet throughout the year and issue a final report, highlighting best practices and provide recommendations for cost-effective ways to scale existing educational offerings for incarcerated students throughout the New England region. The Commission is an extension of the Massachusetts Prison Education Consortium, which is an initiative through The Educational Justice Institute, co-directed by Lee Perlman and Carole Cafferty.

 — Carole Cafferty, TEJI