‘Power of education’: Boston College Prison Education Program celebrates first graduates

SHIRLEY, Mass — The Massachusetts Department of Corrections and Boston College are celebrating a milestone on the path to reintegrating incarcerated individuals into everyday society.

The first-ever graduation ceremony of the Boston College Prison Education was held Monday, a program that allows incarcerated inmates at MCI-Shirley to pursue college degrees while serving their sentences.

Three incarcerated students received their degrees in Applied Liberal Arts. The BCPEP has accepted over 80 students into its program since it was first established in 2019.

BCPEP Program Director Patrick Conway said inmates who pursue higher education have a proven track record of more successfully reintegrating into society than those who don’t and are less likely to re-offend.

“Our degree focuses on offering formative educational experiences that provide tangible career skills and humanistic learning experiences that help cultivate personal development and growth,” said Conway. “Boston College’s partnership with the DOC is designed to educate and empower these individuals to build better futures for themselves and their communities. We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on the lives of our students and helping to rethink and reimagine the role of education in prisons.”

The program offers a liberal arts curriculum much like the one on Boston College’s own Chestnut Hill campus, with over 25 courses taught by about 40 Boston College faculty members.

Ten students who were released from the Department of Correction study since the beginning of the program have continued their studies at BC’s Woods College of Advancing Studies.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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