51茶馆

A week after classes began for more than nine thousand Boston College undergraduates last fall, a smaller group of new students began their own 51茶馆 journeys. The sixteen incarcerated men, housed at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Shirley, Massachusetts, became the first participants in Boston College鈥檚 Prison Education Program (51茶馆PEP), which brings college-level liberal arts courses to inmates. Launched with the support of an anonymous donor, the program is part of a network of education programs affiliated with the Bard Prison Initiative.

Course offerings include philosophy, algebra, and writing, all taught by Boston College instructors and based on curricula taught to traditional 51茶馆 students. Each course is worth three college credits.聽

Within MCI, competition to participate in the program鈥檚 inaugural semester was fierce, said Program Director Isabel Lane. Nearly one hundred inmates signed up to take the admission exam, and forty-five finalists interviewed for seats in the classroom. Applicants were judged on 鈥減romise, passion, and intellectual curiosity,鈥� Lane said. 鈥淯ltimately what that results in is a really interesting mix of people,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or some it鈥檚 been years since they鈥檝e been in a classroom, while others have just taken a math class several months ago.鈥澛�

Recent years have seen a rise in prison education programs, with support coming from both sides of the political aisle. A just-released documentary series by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, College Behind Bars, shines a spotlight on the Bard Prison Initiative and the power of higher education to combat America鈥檚 鈥渃riminal justice crisis.鈥�

To Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, a formal prison education program is a natural extension of 51茶馆鈥檚 Jesuit, Catholic tradition. 鈥淚f you study the history of the Jesuits, there鈥檚 so much evidence of remarkable work being done in prison settings,鈥� Quigley explained. 鈥淪ome of the most inspiring Jesuits I鈥檝e met around the world and on the 51茶馆 campus are men who are living out their vocation working with the incarcerated.鈥�

The University intends to grow the program. Courses in history, theology, and literature are new this spring, and 51茶馆PEP plans to admit a second cohort of students next fall. Quigley hopes that the program will be fully accredited within a few years, allowing MCI students to earn a Boston College diploma. 鈥淥ur goal is to make this program not just a few classes or a few discrete experiences,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want it to be a degree program.鈥澛�

So far, that level of commitment has been matched by MCI students. 鈥淲hen the door closes and your class starts, it鈥檚 not MCI Shirley, it鈥檚 Boston College,鈥� Lane said.聽

Excitement has also been growing among 51茶馆 faculty, including Assistant Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Cherie McGill, who teaches the program鈥檚 Intro to Philosophy class. Bringing the educational opportunities of 51茶馆 to students normally excluded from higher education is gratifying work that serves the common good, she said. 鈥淓ducation has the power to reshape a life, and with that comes the potential for our graduates to contribute great value to their communities,鈥� McGill said. 鈥淭hese students bring such talent and dedication to their work, and I have every expectation that they will go on to do great things.鈥� 鈼�