About TUPIT – Overview
TUPIT provides transformative educational experiences for incarcerated people and for on-campus students and faculty in an environment that encourages bold critical thinking, higher levels of civic engagement, and a greater sense of community. Wholly aligned with the mission of Tufts University and Tisch College, TUPIT fosters students’ and faculty members’ capacities to become active citizens of change by offering:
Higher Education in Prison: TUPIT offers incarcerated students the opportunity to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees through Tufts coursework taught in prison at MCI-Shirley, Souza Baranowski, and sometimes Northeastern Correctional Center.
MyTERN Reentry Program: The Tufts Education and Reentry Network program (MyTERN) supports returning citizens through an 18-credit Civic Studies certificate program on the Tufts campus. Students pursue higher education while gaining reentry support in technology, financial literacy, housing, and employment. MyTERN also provides restorative justice training in partnership with the Transformational Prison Project. Above all, the students in MyTERN continue to build an expansive alumni network in Massachusetts and beyond for people coming home from prison.
Campus & Community Events: TUPIT fosters learning through public symposia, film screenings, and speaker events that elevate the voices and experiences of justice-impacted people.
BENEFITS OF PRISON EDUCATION
Studies show that college-in-prison programs transform lives by increasing one’s sense of belonging and strengthening self-esteem, empathy, and collaboration, while also increasing the likelihood of meaningful employment and general health and wellness for the individuals, families, and communities most impacted. A 2013 Rand study found that any education in prison reduces recidivism by 43% and boosts employment by 13%. For those who earn a college degree, recidivism drops to under 5%. College in prison changes not only the students who earn degrees, but also the families and communities they return to. Students graduate with a valued credential and a renewed sense of purpose and belonging.
TUPIT’s own research, “You’re Almost in This Place That Doesn’t Exist”, confirms these benefits, finding that higher education in prison not only helps people stay out of prison but also reshapes self-concept, fosters critical thinking, and builds a stronger sense of purpose.
People often think of prisons as being at the end of society.
For me, because of the Tufts college program, prison was the beginning.
A whole new world of literature and ideas opened up for me.
Shane, BA Graduate
HISTORY
Founded in 2016 by Hilary Binda, TUPIT launched as a college-in-prison program in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, offering incarcerated students the chance to pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees through Tufts University and Bunker Hill Community College. With support from Tufts and sustained external funding, the program expanded to include the Tufts Education & Reentry Network program, MyTERN – a year-long, 18-credit Civic Studies certificate program designed for men and women directly impacted by the carceral system. MyTERN’s uniquely holistic approach to higher education combines academic study and support with reentry support in technology, financial literacy, housing, and employment, while also building community through restorative justice practices. Together, TUPIT and MyTERN create educational opportunities that foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and pathways to long-term success both inside and outside prison walls.