Alliance for Higher Education in Prison

The Alliance for Higher Education in Prison builds and supports the field-wide infrastructure to advance access and excellence in higher education in prison and through reentry. We do this by convening the field, amplifying system-impacted voices, and mobilizing knowledge and resources.

Our Vision

We envision a world in which all people, including those in prison, have access to quality higher education, creating a more just and equitable world.

Our Values

• Education as Catalyst - We believe that knowledge opens our minds to what is possible and equips us with the tools to reimagine justice and our collective future.
• Access to Opportunity - We believe everyone—including those who are currently or formerly incarcerated—should have access to high-quality education.
• Centering Impacted Voices - Acknowledging the foundational expertise that comes with lived experience, we work to ensure that currently and formerly incarcerated people play an integral role in shaping the future of higher education in prison.
• Collaborative Leadership - Rooted in our understanding that transformative and lasting change emerges through shared leadership, we actively cultivate relationships across differences, facilitate open dialogue, and forge intentional partnerships.
• Human Dignity - We recognize the inherent worth of all people. We strive to challenge systems that limit human potential and to remain accountable to the communities we serve.

How We Work

The Alliance bridges diverse communities and perspectives—amplifying system-impacted voices, supporting practitioners, partnering with researchers, and advancing policy and practice.

Our core competencies

• We listen deeply and synthesize across contexts.
• We convene and build community.
• We curate, amplify, and disseminate knowledge aligned with our values.
• We identify, incubate, and resource emergent needs within the field.

Learn more.