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MISSION STATEMENT
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MISSION
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To transform Washington's state prisons into communities of learning by providing post-secondary
education to the incarcerated, particularly to prisoners of color;
To educate the public about the injustice, wasted human potential, violence,
and expense that result when we attempt to solve social problems through mass imprisonment.
Because the United States imprisons a higher percentage of its people
than any other country in the world ...
Because people of color are imprisoned at over ten times the rate of white
people ...
Because nearly seven out of ten prisoners released back into the
community will return to prison within three years ...
Because the single most effective way to reduce recidivism is post-
secondary education ...
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VISION
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We believe that a college education is a basic human right and should be available to everyone,
not just to those who can pay. We know from experience that higher education can salvage the wasted
potential of those our society has imprisoned and transform them into productive, contributing citizens.
Therefore we are working to create a cooperative learning community inside Washington prisons where all
experience is valued and the benefits of higher education are made available to all who desire them.
We believe that learning requires an attitude of openness to new perspectives, and that only through
respect for and experience of diversity do we truly grow as teachers, students, and human beings.
We challenge racism and classism by embracing difference as the instrument that brings us together.
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GOALS
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• To develop a model for delivering a low-cost, high-quality college education to the incarcerated.
• To offer a basic college-level curriculum in every Washington State prison, making it possible for prisoners to earn not only transferrable college credit, but also post-secondary certificates and degrees.
• To create a community of learning inside the prisons around the essential elements of a liberal education: respect for knowledge, inquiry, critical thinking, creativity, and self-discipline.
• To connect prisoners working for social justice with groups and resources in the community and vice versa.
• To educate the public about prisons, the criminal justice system, and effective alternatives, and to re-humanize prisoners in the eyes of the legislature, the media, and the public.
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