{"id":6897,"date":"2023-03-24T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T20:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/giving\/?p=6897"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:30:58","slug":"usc-prison-education-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/giving\/2023\/03\/24\/usc-prison-education-project\/","title":{"rendered":"USC Prison Education Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \n
\n\n \n

USC Prison Education Project<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n Transcending Walls Through Education\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n March 24, 2023<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n \n Share\n <\/span>\n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n Copy Link<\/span>\n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n Facebook<\/span>\n <\/a>\n \n \n \n\n<\/svg>\n\n <\/span>\n X<\/span>\n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n LinkedIn<\/span>\n <\/a>\n \n \n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n Bluesky<\/span>\n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n Email<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n \n
\n\n \n
\n

A Community for All<\/strong><\/p>\n

Universities can bring enormous benefits to a community, but Nik De Dominic says one group often misses out \u2014 those in prison.<\/p>\n

De Dominic, associate professor (teaching) of writing at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, says that when it comes to leveraging the resources of the university to benefit the greater community, incarcerated populations are often forgotten members.<\/p>\n

To address this oversight, he co-founded and co-directs\u00a0USC\u2019s Prison Education Project<\/a>\u00a0(PEP) with Assistant Professor (Teaching) of Writing Kate Levin. PEP aims to \u201cfacilitate connections that transcend walls both literal and figurative,\u201d creating a prison-to-school pipeline that transforms program participants as well as society.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do this by bringing classes to currently incarcerated people, offering editing services to incarcerated writers, and by hosting artists, activists, academics and community members to foster critical conversations on incarceration for our campus,\u201d De Dominic said.<\/p>\n

USC Prison Education Project helps prevent a return to crime and prison<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, incarcerated individuals who participate in postsecondary prison education are 43% less likely to return to prison than those who don\u2019t. Additionally, education programs provide employment opportunities and smoother reentry into society upon release,<\/p>\n

With the help of donor support, USC PEP has harnessed the power of a world-class university to offer educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals across California.<\/p>\n

Founded at USC Dornsife in 2017 in collaboration with\u00a0Cal Poly Pomona\u2019s Prison Education Project<\/a>, USC PEP serves students in custody with regular course offerings at multiple correctional and transitional living facilities. Course offerings taught by USC faculty include classes in film, astronomy, speculative fiction, screenwriting, and debate.<\/p>\n

Through these classes, as well as Writing 320 \u2014 a USC Dornsife Writing Program course that co-enrolls USC students and students at the California Institution for Women \u2014 USC PEP publishes student written works in\u00a0print anthologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

USC\u2019s chapter is the largest in the nationwide Prison Education Project, with the most volunteer instructors, TAs and classes. More than 60 student and faculty members participate every semester, engaging over 100 incarcerated students through coursework, contests and editorial mentorship.<\/p>\n

Donors empower USC PEP to help incarcerated writers<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the size and scope of the program has grown, so has the need for donor support to sustain it. De Dominic listed some of the ways donor gifts support a variety of USC PEP needs:<\/p>\n