UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new episode of “Education Matters,” a podcast produced by the Penn State College of Education, highlights the work of Penn State’s Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) and examines how access to college coursework can impact incarcerated individuals, their families and society.
In the episode, members of the RJI team discuss prison education and the role higher education can play in supporting people impacted by the justice system. The podcast features three RJI members: Irvin Moore, who reflects on pursuing a bachelor's degree after serving 52 years in prison, and Efraín Marimón and Liana Cole, who offer insights into the process of launching a Penn State degree program in prison and the positive impacts of the program on incarcerated students.
RJI is a group of Penn State students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders committed to empowering and supporting system-impacted individuals through education and meaningful civic engagement. The initiative emphasizes trauma-informed practice, liberatory pedagogy and transformative education, and works to reduce structural barriers to education and reentry while preserving the dignity of those affected by the carceral state. RJI is a project of Penn State’s College of Education and College of the Liberal Arts.
Founded in 2015, RJI has partnered with the Centre County Correctional Facility and the State Correctional Institution at Benner Township, among other sites, to develop educational programming and support reentry initiatives.
The podcast is available online.
Learn more at the Restorative Justice Initiative website.