Prison Education Program Pathway to Campus: Uniting Morehouse College, Kennesaw State University, and University of West Georgia

Common Good Atlanta proposes to implement the Second Chance Act for Improving Educational Outcomes. The purpose of this project is to provide seamless pathways to campus for incarcerated students within two years of release in multiple Prison Education Programs (PEPs) in Georgia. Project activities include providing pre to post release reentry support by justice impacted individuals for PEP students in three partner programs conducted in five facilities. Pre-release reentry support includes but is not limited to academic and justice-impacted peer support, aid in completing college and financial applications, and tutoring. Post release activities include support transitioning to campus, including ongoing support in navigating college and university admissions, registrar, academic success offices, and career services. It will also provide long term case management support that includes referrals to necessary housing, mental health, substance abuse or other reentry service needs. 

The expected outcome of this project is the creation of lasting community-based structures that provide the pre to post release support necessary for PEP participants to succeed upon reentry. These structures will aid students in reentry, while simultaneously supporting PEP programs at various stages in the Pell process fulfill Pell regulations. It will also produce a database consisting of longitudinal participant data from multiple PEP programs which will elucidate further reentry support necessary to ensure degree completion and gainful employment.

This project partners with four subrecipients: Morehouse College, the University of West Georgia, Kennesaw State University, and the National Incarceration Association. Subrecipient funds are allocated to college partners based on their place on the path to becoming Pell designated PEPs. Morehouse College will receive funds for precollege program instruction, academic support, and Morehouse student ambassadors. The University of West Georgia will receive funds for site direction, faculty reentry training, second chance employer reconnaissance, and the piloting of a program to provide dorms for reentering PEP students. Kennesaw State University will receive funds for site direction, career and academic support, and graduate student support. The National Incarceration Association will receive passthrough funds to provide ongoing reentry case management for participants in all three PEP programs. Each of these subrecipients will be supported by Common Good Atlanta’s Reentry Coordinator and all will provide PEP participant data to the grants manager for reporting back to the BJA.