Education Justice Project: Transforming Lives Through Education and Advocacy
The Education Justice Project (EJP) stands as a beacon of hope and transformation, operating as a vibrant academic community dedicated to fostering a more just and humane world. Rooted in the belief that education is a powerful tool for change, EJP brings together incarcerated students, educators, formerly incarcerated individuals, family members of the incarcerated, and other allies who share a commitment to critical awareness and social justice.
Mission and Vision
At its core, the Education Justice Project is driven by a clear mission: to establish a model college-in-prison program that showcases the profound positive effects of higher education on incarcerated individuals, their families, their communities, the host institution, and society at large. This mission is inextricably linked to EJP's vision of a more humane and just society, a vision sustained through education and critical awareness.
EJP believes that providing opportunities for quality postsecondary education within American prisons is an important step towards that vision. An excellent, comprehensive prison education program must also work outside of the prison, providing continued support for its alumni. Finally, EJP is committed to public education around issues of incarceration and criminal justice.
A Comprehensive College-in-Prison Program
Based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), a top-tier research university and a public land-grant institution, EJP leverages the resources and expertise of a highly-ranked College of Education to deliver a comprehensive college-in-prison program. Since 2011, the Education Justice Project has been a unit of the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (EPOL). With only five full-time staff, EJP relies greatly on the energy and dedication of dozens of EJP volunteer members-graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff, and community members. Their in-kind contributions amount to many hundreds of hours each year. Working collaboratively, they help to design and implement programs and EJP outreach activities.
The cornerstone of EJP's educational offerings is the provision of upper-division University of Illinois courses at Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security men’s prison located approximately 45 miles from the Urbana-Champaign campus. These for-credit courses are taught by University faculty and advanced graduate students, numbering about seventy.
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Beyond the traditional classroom setting, EJP enriches the educational experience through a diverse range of extracurricular activities. These include:
- Theatre Initiative: Providing a creative outlet for expression and storytelling.
- Writing, Computer, Science, and Math Workshops: Enhancing skills and fostering intellectual curiosity.
- Guest Lecture Series: Exposing students to diverse perspectives and expertise.
- Reading Groups: Cultivating critical thinking and fostering a love of literature.
- Tutoring: Providing individualized support to ensure academic success.
EJP has about 100 active outside (i.e. non-incarcerated) members during any given semester and about 70 incarcerated students. What we term the “EJP universe” is much larger, though, and consists of almost 500 former EJP instructors (“faculty affiliates”), program alumni (released students), and students who have been transferred to other prisons.
Cultivating a Supportive Learning Environment
EJP recognizes that a rigorous and critical education program requires the cultivation of an open, safe, gentle, and inclusive learning environment. To this end, EJP is deeply committed to fostering such an environment, emphasizing self-reflection as an integral component of its creation and sustainability.
Our ESL program, Language Partners, and our anti-violence program, Community Anti-Violence Education (CAVE) were initiated by EJP students. Other programs that the EJP learning community has developed at the facility include writing and science workshops, guest lectures, a mindfulness discussion group, computer lab, and community library.
Expanding Access and Opportunity Beyond Prison Walls
EJP's commitment extends beyond the walls of Danville Correctional Center, encompassing comprehensive support for its alumni and proactive engagement with the broader community. Recognizing the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals, EJP has established several key initiatives:
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- Reentry Guide Initiative: This initiative, born from the encouragement of EJP alumni, focuses on providing resources and guidance to individuals navigating the complex process of reentry into society. The Reentry Resource Program (RRP) team has developed a Honduras deportation guide to provide clear, practical information for individuals facing deportation to Honduras. This Honduras deportation guide is part of a larger resource called “A New Path: A Guide to the Challenges and Opportunities After Deportation”.
- Scholarship Program: Understanding the deleterious impacts of incarceration on family members, EJP offers $1,000 awards to formerly incarcerated students, family members of people who are incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and family members of IDOC or JVCC staff.
- Campus Scan: As UIUC boldly reimagines the role of a land-grant university in the 21st century, EJP promotes the inclusion and empowerment of system-impacted individuals on campus. EJP is conducting this audit to identify the challenges systems-involved people face when pursuing higher education and/or employment opportunities at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This research will determine where supports exist and how we can better ensure that our campus is inclusive and welcoming. Ashton Klekamp, EJP’s policy director, states there is a lack of evidence that screening applicants for criminal backgrounds improves campus safety.
- EJP Alumni Discussions: EJP hosts regular events on the University of Illinois campus to which we invite members of the larger Urbana-Champaign community. At discussions with EJP Alumni, you will hear from them about their experiences at Danville Correctional Center and beyond.
Addressing Systemic Issues Through Research and Advocacy
EJP recognizes that true justice requires not only individual transformation but also systemic change. To that end, EJP actively engages in research and advocacy efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of incarceration and promoting more equitable policies.
Since 2019, the Education Justice Project has annually developed the Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Directory to spotlight existing college-in-prison programs across the state and to advocate for the expansion of educational opportunities and supportive policies within Illinois prisons. The campus scan is an examination of the policies and practices of campus units with which formerly incarcerated individuals are likely to have contact.
Navigating Complex Tensions
EJP acknowledges the inherent tensions that arise from working within a system that many of its members find abhorrent. The organization grapples with challenging questions:
- How to partner effectively with prison staff and administrators without becoming complicit in the prison apparatus?
- How to advocate for the expansion of higher education in prisons while simultaneously advocating for the closure of prisons?
- What does an abolitionist reentry guide or college-in-prison program look like?
These questions guide EJP's ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of incarceration and create conditions that support more humane and just responses to harm and violence. The EJP Handbook provides an overview of EJP’s history, mission, and policies. EJP would not exist but for the hard and painful reality that our society incarcerates individuals.
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