Reclaiming Hope Behind Bars: How Higher Education Restored My Confidence and Humanity
He grew up valuing learning. At first, school excited him. But then peer pressure, inadequate support, and a system that cared little for Black children pushed him away. He made poor choices. Eventually those choices led him to serve a life without parole sentence at Washington Corrections Center. His early belief that education and dreams were connected broke under the weight of streets and stereotypes. What he did not know then was how prison education programs would one day open new doors.
Education as Resistance
Even though higher education in prison is often framed as job training, for him it became something more essential. It was the path to rediscover who he was. It helped him see education behind bars as liberation. It helped him believe in humanity again: in himself and in others. His journey became a testament to rehabilitation through education and the deeper impact of higher education on inmates.
Legal Obstacles and Policy Barriers
The system made it difficult. In 1994, the federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act cut almost all financial aid for incarcerated people. Washington State passed laws restricting public support for postsecondary education except for basic adult education or vocational training, especially for those serving life without parole. Some of those restrictions were loosened in 2017, but many remain. These policies delayed many college courses for inmates, undermining the potential for prison reform through education.
The TEACH Program and What It Gave Him
Everything changed when he joined TEACH (Taking Education and Creating History) at Clallam Bay Corrections Center in 2015. TEACH was founded by the Black Prisoners Caucus to bridge the massive educational gaps for minority, long-term, and undocumented prisoners.
With TEACH, he received classroom space, structured courses, peer encouragement, and the chance to work with Peninsula College and Seattle Central College. He took foundational courses including college-prep math, anger management, writing, and African American studies. That preparation gave him confidence. When he finally took a college sociology class, he was terrified, but he grew to love what he was learning. He saw how his experiences were shaped by forces larger than him, which marked the beginning of rebuilding confidence through prison education.
Paying It Forward: Leadership, Peer Support, Community
As he advanced, TEACH offered more than academic learning. He became a facilitator, leading stress and anger reduction classes. He served on the TEACH board at Clallam Bay. After his transfer, he became vice chair at Washington Corrections Center. He saw others follow the same path, showing success stories of prison education in action.
One peer, Thomas Mullin-Coston, created a sound and song production course. Another, Dwuan Conroy, enrolled in biology, anthropology, and English. Despite lockdowns during COVID, he relied on fellow prisoner-students for support. Together they kept learning alive when formal schooling was shut down. This was education behind bars at its most powerful: community-driven and resilient.
Barriers Persist, But So Does Purpose
Even with progress, challenges remain. Some programs get cut when administrators say they do not serve a facility need. Lockdowns disrupt instruction. Funding remains uncertain. But what TEACH and similar initiatives show is that prison education programs are not luxury. They are essential.
Research supports this. Higher education in prison reduces recidivism significantly. Vocational training, associate, bachelor’s, and even master’s degrees each bring lower rates of re-offending. For society, it means safer communities, lower costs, and greater healing through education and rehabilitation. It is also how education changes lives in prison, proving the value of prison reform through education.
Reclaiming His Humanity
He is two classes away from earning his associate degree. After that, he wants to pursue a bachelor’s in behavioral health and maybe one day a master’s. He remains physically confined, but education has freed his mind. It taught him to see himself and others with compassion. It offered growth. It restored his belief that even behind bars, one can be human, whole, and hopeful. This is the essence of humanity restored through education in prison.
For him, the journey through prison education programs was not just about knowledge. It was about rehabilitation through education, about showing how education behind bars can transform lives. His story echoes the many success stories of prison education, illustrating the impact of higher education on inmates and how rebuilding confidence through prison education can ripple outward into communities. Truly, it is one of the clearest examples of how education changes lives in prison.