Copyright The Boston Globe
The Boston College Prison Education Program is expanding to MCI-Framingham, a state-run prison for women, the Massachusetts Department of Correction announced last week. The expansion will be launched as a one-year pilot program starting in January 2026, the statement said. According to its website, the Boston College Prison Education Program offers a liberal arts education to incarcerated individuals. Boston College instructors teach the courses, and students receive credit toward a bachelor of arts degree. The MCI-Framingham pilot program will enroll 10 to 12 students while continuing to evaluate needs for a long-term program, the statement said. The program is funded by a $100,000 grant from the New England Prison Education Collaborative and will be free for students. Students will gain college-level skills while learning academic writing, teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and time management, the statement said. Advertisement “We have seen firsthand how access to rigorous, supportive college learning can be transformative for individuals and for communities,” program director Patrick Conway said in the statement. “This new partnership reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that the liberating power of the liberal arts is not limited by prison walls.” The program has served individuals at MCI-Shirley since its launch in 2019, and more than 100 individuals enrolled in the program, the statement said. Eight students received degrees, and the latest group of recipients washonored in September, the statement said. In September, the Department of Correction announced that more than 1,350 incarcerated individuals within various facilities completed educational programs during the 2024-2025 academic year. “By expanding our partnerships and educational opportunities, we increase the success of individuals as they reenter communities,” Governor Maura Healey said in the statement. Advertisement Camille Bugayong can be reached at camille.bugayong@globe.com.
