Get Involved: Second Chance Job Fair Volunteer Opportunity

The SLU Transformative Workforce Academy, which hosts the Second Chance Job Fair for formerly incarcerated people, is looking for volunteer job coaches! This would be a 9-week, approximately 1 hour per week commitment.  SLU hosted its first virtual job fair over the summer, but many jobseekers had difficulties with the follow up process due to […]

Eviction Crisis

Emma Grady-Pawl, a Master of Social Work (MSW) student in the Washington University Brown School of Social Work who is currently completing her practicum with PEP, wrote about the current eviction crisis and how racist housing policies have and will continue to disproportionately affect BIPOC communities, specifically Black women and formerly incarcerated people, leaving them vulnerable to being unhoused in […]

COVID-19 in Prison Joint Statement

In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic and its disastrous impact on incarcerated populations (so far 687 people incarcerated in the Missouri Department of Corrections have tested positive for COVID-19, and there has been 1 death), the Prison Education Project (PEP) has published a joint statement along with American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, Bail […]

COVID-19 in Farmington Correctional Center Advocacy Letter

A PEP alumnus recently wrote to Missouri CURE to highlight the unsafe conditions that leave those in the Transitional Housing Unit at Farmington Correctional Center vulnerable to COVID-19. We have adapted his letter as a template, which we encourage you to send to policymakers and officials. The letter advocates for (1) clemency, compassionate release, medical and geriatric parole, or […]

PEP to Host Virtual Book Club

Using articles and selected book chapters, this summer the PEP Alumni Program is launching a virtual book club discussion to foster conversation between PEP students, the Danforth Campus community, and the greater St. Louis community. The goal of this virtual book club is to continue encouraging intellectual curiosity and conversation despite the limitations posed by […]

PEP Open Letter

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Community Partners: The Washington University in St. Louis Prison Education Project (PEP) stands with the Black community, the Black Lives Matter movement, and those who are protesting against recent and recurring acts of racial injustice and violence. In doing so, we acknowledge the pain, anger, and frustration that members of these […]

Graduation Announcement: Jameel Spann

Please join us in celebrating Jameel Spann’s graduation! Jameel is a PEP alumnus who graduated with a B.S. in Integrated Studies from Washington University in St. Louis this month. He took classes in the Washington University Prison Education Project during its nascent stages and now works for the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, a national nonprofit […]

Petition for Compassionate Release

In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic and its disastrous impact on incarcerated populations (so far 44 people incarcerated in the Missouri Department of Corrections have tested positive for COVID-19, and there has been 1 death), the Prison Education Project (PEP) Executive Board sent a letter to Governor Parson calling for the compassionate release of […]

PEP Seeking Practicum Student

The Washington University Prison Education Project (PEP) is currently seeking a MSW practicum student for fall 2020. Please see below for the complete job description. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Abaki Beck (abakibeck@wustl.edu) by Friday, April 17th.   Practicum Position: Prison Education Project, Alumni ProgramReentry Case Management – Fall 2020 […]

PEP Film Screening & Panel Discussion

****Edit: This event was canceled due to the current public health crisis and will likely be rescheduled for the fall semester. Thank you to everyone who shared the event and was planning on attending, and we hope to be in touch soon regarding rescheduling.**** Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 18! The Washington University Prison […]

New Student Group: Interrogating Incarceration

The Prison Education Project (PEP) is excited to partner with Interrogating Incarceration, a new student-run group on Washington University’s campus for undergraduate and graduate students that was recently featured in Student Life. The group’s mission is to create a space for students passionate about issues around mass incarceration to discuss relevant topics and raise awareness […]

Upcoming Spring 2020 Courses Announced

This spring semester, the Prison Education Project will offer 7 classes for MECC students. Classes will cover math, science, social science, writing and more.  For more information on each course, please see the course descriptions below.

Bachelor of Science Degree Now Accredited for PEP Students

The Prison Education Project is excited to announce that the WashU School of Continuing & Professional Studies Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies degree is now accredited for PEP students. The Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies requires 120 total units of credit. Students must satisfy CAPS General Education Requirements, which are the same for students […]

The Great British Book Club

The Prison Education Project (PEP) is all about breaking down barriers to education and creating more opportunities to learn. Learning occurs through many forms and in many settings, not just from lectures in a traditional classroom. Some of the best learning happens through dialogue and discussion with others and book clubs have long been known […]

Divided City Initiative & Prison Education Project Partnership

The Prison Education Project is excited to announce that it has partnered with the Divided City Initiative to support and develop two interdisciplinary urban humanities courses for PEP students at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. These courses will be integrated as part of the greater PEP curriculum. The first course, “Landscape Architecture: The Art and Science of […]

PEP Welcomes New Undergraduate Intern

Prison Education Project is excited to announce that junior Talia Weine, will be joining the team of PEP interns. She will be assisting PEP with research requests, course organization, and other administrative tasks. “I am so happy to be working with the Prison Education Project, because I believe that education is an integral part of […]

Upcoming Fall 2019 Courses Announced

This fall, the Prison Education Project will offer 7 classes for MECC students. Classes will cover STEM and humanities subjects, ranging from astronomy and computer science to public speaking and landscape architecture. For more information on each course, please see the course descriptions below.  

3rd Annual Gender Impacts Symposium Focused on Mothers & Re-Entry

On March 29th, 2019, the 3rd Annual Gender Impacts Symposium was held in St. Louis. The Gender Impacts series addresses the intersection of race, class and gender in the criminal justice system. Past symposiums have addressed the overall experiences of women in the criminal justice system, as well as the relationship between incarceration, women and […]

PEP Welcomes New Project Assistant

The Prison Education Project is excited to announce that Natasha Narayanan will be joining the PEP team as the new Project Assistant. Natasha previously worked with the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, where she tutored students in math and performed various administrative tasks. She received her undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Spanish from Auburn University […]

Upcoming Summer 2019 Courses!

This summer, the Prison Education Project will offer four courses at MECC, ranging from mathematics, to research methods to humanities centered courses. For more information, please see the course descriptions below. 

Fall 2019 Practicum Opportunity Available

Looking for a practicum opportunity? Consider participating in a meaningful practicum where you will gain experience in re-entry services and program development with the Prison Education Project. Now accepting applications, so read more and apply soon! Prison Education Project Practicum Description The Prison Education Project (PEP) is looking for two (2) practicum students to join […]

Writing to Learn

Recently, two of our instructors, Victoria Thomas (Senior Lecturer in English & American Literature) and Anna Preus (Ph.D. student in English), attended a workshop with the Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT) which was brought to the Washington University Prison Education Project (PEP) through its partnership with the Bard Prison Initiative’s Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison. […]

Spring 2019 Creative Writing Workshop

This spring semester, The Prison Education Project has introduced a new Creative Writing Workshop for MECC students, led by Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, a Washington University PhD graduate student. The Creative Writing Workshop works to provide students with a number of classic literary techniques, as well as to foster skills in the practice of literary criticism, […]

Welcome New Interns to PEP

The Prison Education Project is welcoming two new student interns; Corinne Hibbett (’20) and Jimmy Rao (’21). They will help coordinate with students and faculty, work on website maintenance and design, and help PEP run at its best. “After doing a research project about the prison system in America, I wanted to get involved in […]

Spring 2019 Reading Group Announced

The Spring 2019 Washington University Prison Education Project Reading Group will explore literature of World War One in order to recognize and remember the recent one-hundred year anniversary of the end of that conflict.

In Memoriam: Margaret Garb

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Margaret Garb, PEP co-founder and co-director, after a long and courageous struggle with cancer.  Surrounded by her family, she passed peacefully on December 15, 2018.  Professor Garb, known to friends and colleagues as Maggie, joined Washington University 2001 as a faculty member in the Department […]

Gephardt Travel Grant Awarded to PEP

David Cunningham’s Order and Change in Society receives a Gephardt Travel Grant to facilitate joint class session between MECC and Danforth Campus students. This past semester, Fall 2018, the Prison Education Project had the opportunity to offer Order and Change in Society, a class taught by David Cunningham, Professor of Sociology, with assistance from Jeanette […]

Announcing Spring 2019 Courses!

The Prison Education Project is pleased to announce that it will be offering a record eight courses during the Spring 2019 semester. Check out some of this semester’s course flyers!

PEP Receives Onassis Foundation Fellowship

The Prison Education Project is proud to announce that Dr. Grizelda McClelland has been named the Onassis Foundation Teaching Fellow in Culture and Humanities.  This generous fellowship will support her Spring 2019 course in ancient Greek culture at Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. This fellowship is funded through the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), which recently received […]

New Computer Lab Installed

“MECC students now have an opportunity to leverage technology in this less conventional learning environment to further promote the success of PEP’s mission.” For the first time, during the 2018-2019 academic year, PEP students have the opportunity to type their essays and research papers, reference selected digital course materials, and access digital media.  Taking further […]

Danforth Campus Research Partnership

For the first time in Fall 2018, Danforth Campus students will have the opportunity to partner with the Prison Education Project in a three-credit course.  This course has a dual role as an introduction to political science research approaches and methods and a practical training opportunity in library research. Danforth Campus students will apply the information […]

PEP Welcomes Two New Undergraduate Interns

Thu-Lan Unsoeld (’21) and Petergaye Laine (’19) join the Prison Education Project as Fall 2018 Interns. They will work jointly on website design, public relations and the day to day office tasks critical to PEP as well as contribute to improvements on the program’s structure. “Having witnessed incarceration seriously limit the academic opportunities of my own […]

Barbara Baumgartner Receives Gephardt Grant for 2nd Year In A Row

Barbara Baumgartner, Associate Director of the Prison Education Project, has received the St. Louis Project Grant from the Gephardt Institute for the 2nd year in a row to host a symposium on gender and incarceration.  After last year’s symposium, participants expressed interest in future conferences on related topics. As a result, this year’s symposium will examine […]

Barbara Baumgarter Receives Gephardt Grant for Gender Symposium

Barbara Baumgartner, Associate Director of the Prison Education Project, has received a Gephardt Institute Civic Engagement Fund: St. Louis Project Grant to host a full-day symposium on women and the criminal justice system. Race, class, and gender are intersecting issues in our community, and while race and class have been receiving more attention in recent […]