Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the Boston College Prison Education Program.

Founded in 2019, the Boston College Prison Education Program has quickly grown to become one of the leading higher education in prison programs in the country. Our program serves incarcerated students at MCI-Shirley, a medium-security prison located an hour from the Chestnut Hill campus.

Housed in the Office of the Provost, and working in collaboration with the Woods College of Advancing Studies, we strive to provide our students with a high-quality liberal arts education. Students in our program earn Boston College credits leading to a BA in the Applied Liberal Arts. Our degree focuses on offering formative educational experiences that not only provide tangible career skills, but also humanistic learning experiences that help cultivate personal development and growth. All coursework is led by Boston College faculty.

Running such a unique program requires working in partnership with various stakeholders, including Boston College faculty and leadership, correctional staff and administration, and, of course, our students themselves. We are also proudly affiliated with the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), the most robust national network for the liberal arts in prison. BCPEP’s transformative work is made possible through the generous support of our program from donors. Thank you for your interest in BCPEP.

We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on the lives of our students, and to helping rethink and reimagine the role of education in prisons.Sincerely,
Patrick Conway