MIT’s Dr. Lee Perlman, NPDL Executive Director Daniel Throop, NPDL Asst. Director Brittany LaMarr, & Maine DOC’s Dr. Ryan Thornell

On December 14th, 2022, NPDL leadership joined in community with other educational, correctional, legislative, business, and peer leaders from all six New England states to work collaboratively as a part of the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison (nebhe.org/commission). The Commission is funded by the Ascendium Foundation and represents a partnership between The Educational Justice Institute at MIT (TEJI), the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), and key regional stakeholders.  This meeting was hosted by Bentley University and featured powerful speakers ranging from U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary Dr. Amy Lloyd, who outlined the federal government’s positions on the restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated students in 2023, to formerly incarcerated student Abraham Santiago who spoke of his introduction to prison education, and currently incarcerated student Victoria Scott, Maine DOC’s debate team captain, who Zoomed in as a panelist to relate the empowering effects of education she’s discovered while inside.

NPDL Assistant Director Brittany LaMarr and I both have lived experience with prison education programs which informs all that we do in advancing the field through our organization.  As members of the Commission, Brittany represents the Connecticut delegation and serves on the Program and Delivery Models Working Group while I’m part of the Massachusetts delegation and have the honor of serving as Co-Chair of the Career, Workforce, and Employer Connections Working Group.  We are all combining our knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in an effort to forward actionable recommendations for real change and better overall human outcomes.  Some key focal points of the Commission are increasing equitable access, innovative program delivery, increasing program and policy alignments, and better connecting postsecondary programs to career pathways. Effective communication is a critical aspect of working collaboratively with such a diverse group of stakeholders and the NPDL is proud to play an ambassadorial role in advocating for the additional resources necessary to uncage human minds.