The Hope-Western Prison Education Program provides a Christian liberal arts education to incarcerated students at Muskegon Correctional Facility. HWPEP is a partnership between Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, and the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The Hope-Western Prison Education Program Seeks To:
- Extend the Hope College and Western Theological Seminary missions to those living in incarcerated environments.
- Transform the hearts and minds of prisoners and all involved in the program, thereby enlarging their imaginations for purposeful living as flourishing, beloved children of God made in His image and likeness.
- Ease the burden to the community by reducing recidivism, lowering tax burdens associated with the corrections system, and improving the safety of and culture for prisoners and prison staff.
- Bring together persons of good will from a variety of political, ideological and theological perspectives.
Did You Know?
Study after study shows that prison education programs not only benefit and transform the incarcerated, but they also transform the prison community. Here’s why:
- 43% reduction in recidivism among parolees who participate in prison education programs.
- 13% increase in post-release employment for parolees who participate in prison education programs.
- Return on investment for prison education programs ranges from 1:5 to as high as 1:12.
- A 70% reduction in misconduct incidents.
- Improved safety and positive culture of prisons.
- By a 2-to-1 margin, crime victims prefer that the criminal justice system focus more on rehabilitating people who commit crimes.
- By a margin or nearly 3-to-1, crime victims believe that prison makes people more likely to commit crimes than to rehabilitate them.
- By a 3-to-1 margin, crime victims prefer holding people accountable through options beyond more incarceration.
Stay tuned for more information about the Hope-Western Prison Education Program. To contribute financially to the college education of our students, please click the button below.
To contribute to the college education of our students, please donate.