Brandywine and incarcerated students learn together in course at local jail

MEDIA, Pa. — Twenty students — 10 from Penn State Brandywine and 10 incarcerated at a nearby county jail — overcame their apprehensions, challenged their ideas about the criminal justice system and studied public speaking during a semester-long course offered through the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. The students met each Tuesday evening during the fall semester at Delaware County’s George W. Hill Correctional Facility, with a closing ceremony and celebration on Dec. 2.

The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program is an educational program that facilitates dialogue across differences, bringing together campus-based, or “outside,” students with incarcerated, or “inside,” students. The George W. Hill Correctional Facility houses people who either have been accused of a crime and are awaiting a court hearing or have received a sentence of less than two years, typically for a relatively minor, nonviolent crime.

Brandywine Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences Angela Putman taught the course, CAS 100A: Effective Speech. She had contacted former Warden Laura K. Williams and Kelly Shaw, reentry and program administrator, four years ago about offering the course at the correctional facility. The fall 2025 semester was the fourth time the course was administered at the facility.

At the closing ceremony, several students shared examples of speeches they had prepared for class and their reflections on the program, and each student was awarded a certificate. Among the guests attending the ceremony were Chief Academic Officer Jen Nesbitt, Director of Campus Development Patton Vo, Advising Specialist Amy Yarlett, Delaware County Councilman Kevin Madden, as well as Warden David Mascellino and Shaw.

“There was something special about this class right from the very first night when we had our ice breaker activities. Any uncertainties, nervousness or barriers that you all had went away immediately and the joy, laughter and raucous nature of this group was palpable, and let me tell you, it stayed that way all semester,” said Putman.

“I’m so incredibly grateful that you allowed me to be a part of this moment in your lives, and I hope that each of you knows that you’ve made a big impact on mine," Putman added. "I cannot wait to see what new moments happen for each of you in the coming years, if I should be so lucky to find out about them.”

Mascellino noted the Inside Out program is one of the most meaningful and powerful opportunities that is offered at the correctional facility.

“The Inside Out program represents one of the most meaningful opportunities we offer here at George W. Hill. It’s a space where incarcerated individuals and college students come together as equals to learn, to challenge themselves and to discover new perspectives about the world and each other,” he said.

“To our graduates, I want to start by saying how proud I am of each of you. You made a deliberate, intentional choice to invest your mind, future and sense of self. You didn’t just show up; you showed up with purpose.”

Shaw expressed gratitude to Putman for running the program and for how she positively impacted the incarcerated students.

“Dr. P, your commitment and passion for equal opportunity education ignited the inside students to want more while giving them a platform to excel and be heard,” she said. “Most importantly, you created a weekly, three-hour space for us to escape the unpleasantness of incarceration, reminding us of our potential while believing in the future. Every inside or outside student needs a reminder of all they have to offer in the world.”

After two students shared their class presentations — one inside student discussed murder in high-poverty areas and an outside student discussed child abuse and maltreatment — two other students shared their thoughts on the Inside-Out Program.

Joseph, an inside student selected by the outside students to share his reflections, talked about how the program gave him a new perspective on his life in the correctional facility.

“As an individual on the inside, I can attest to the impact the Inside Out program had on me. Not only did I get to learn how to speak publicly, but I also got the chance to get out of the housing unit and get out of an antisocial state of mind,” he said.

“It got me out of the shell I cocooned myself into to protect myself from the hostility and negligence that lives outside that door," he added. "From drilling me to increase my eye contact to advancing our vocal values, the Inside Out program empowered us to respond intelligently to others rather than react irrationally.”

Marianna, a second-year student at Penn State Brandywine, was selected by the inside students to share her reflections.

“I’m very glad Dr. P asked us what expectations we had going into this. I personally didn’t have any because that kind of sets a very unrealistic standard, but I know that a lot of my classmates felt as if there was a very rare opportunity that allowed them to venture into areas they had never experienced before,” she said.

“For the inside students, I know it was scary for them because they didn’t know how we were going to perceive them based on the stigmas of being incarcerated. They didn’t know if we were going to judge them or if we had any negative attitudes," Marianna added. "However, it’s great that we ended up finding so much normalcy out of this in the ways we were able to connect and interact. We were very sensical and humorous and ended up creating so many friends out of this experience.”