Five University of Wisconsin system schools awarded degrees to 29 incarcerated students for the first time in more than 50 years, helping set students up for success in life after prison, according to a Department of Corrections press release and Peter Moreno, the Director of the Prison Education Initiative.
The Prison Education Initiative is a University of Wisconsin-Madison program that gives those incarcerated in Wisconsin access to higher education by offering courses at correctional facilities and in-person instruction. The project also includes tutoring, financial aid and academic advising, one-on-one mentoring, reentry planning and alumni support after release.
The program is designed to increase post-release employment and reduce reincarceration rates. Largely, a main goal is to boost economic activity and create safer communities in Wisconsin, according to the DOC press release.
Launched in 2022 with a $5.7 million Workforce Innovation Grant, the Prison Education Initiative has helped more than 200 students earn associate’s degrees or other UW credentials, according to a DOC press release. This year marks a significant milestone, as its graduates will be the first incarcerated students to earn a bachelor degree from UW-system schools other than Madison in over 50 years.
The Prison Education Initiative (PEI) began by supporting UW-Madison courses at Oakhill Correctional Facility. Today, five UW campuses — including UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Stout — now offer courses at 11 DOC facilities.
This year, UW-Green Bay awarded 15 bachelor’s degrees and 9 associate of arts and sciences degrees; UW-Eau Claire awarded 8 bachelor's degrees, and UW-Stout awarded 6 bachelor's degrees, according to Moreno.
“I would say education is the best rehabilitation there is,” Cristobal Guerrero-Kresovich, one of the first incarcerated individuals to earn a UW bachelor’s degree through the PEI, said in a press release. “It trumps anything that anyone could do inside the prison system.”
Participation in prison-based education reduces the risk that a student will commit new crimes and return to prison by about 40 percent. This means lower incarceration rates, lower costs to taxpayers and higher employment.
“Investing in education in correctional facilities is a common-sense strategy to meet our economy’s need for skilled workers and to help individuals gain the skills needed to succeed in our communities,” Governor Tony Evers said in a news release.
But for graduates, the impact is deeply personal. A college degree opens up opportunities for employment, improves self-confidence and helps incarcerated individuals build a plan to move beyond prison.
“I’m looking forward to turning in my blue collar for a white collar,” Guerrero-Kresovich said. “When I go to the job board and it says ‘bachelor’s degree required,’ I know in 60 days I’ll be able to apply for those positions.”
