Saint Louis University Prison Education Program

Our mission is to expand access to transformative, high-quality education for individuals impacted by the justice system. In the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, we educate and accompany the whole person—mind, heart, and spirit—fostering personal growth, critical inquiry, community engagement and resilience.

Rooted in Saint Louis University’s commitment to form men and women for and with others, we build partnerships between correctional institutions, colleges, and communities that promote mutual learning, empowerment and hope.

The program has three primary projects at facilities in the greater St. Louis region:

• The Associate of Arts degree program allows prison employees and incarcerated people to take SLU classes, taught by SLU faculty, on prison grounds.
• The College Preparatory Program prepares incarcerated people for college experiences.
• The Prison Arts and Education Program provides intellectually stimulating humanities-based experiences that foster human connection, an appreciation for the arts, and resources for personal growth.

Higher education in prison is transformative. The SLU Prison Education Program is changing the lives of incarcerated people, prison staff, their families and the community.

By the Numbers