Stetson Launches Rethinking Incarceration

inmates work in a classroom on assignments
CEP’s mission is to provide high-quality education for incarcerated people residing in Florida

Stetson’s Community Education Project (CEP) is launching Rethinking Incarceration, an initiative designed to promote dialogue on mass incarceration, prison reform, human rights, political engagement and systemic oppression. 

The first event of this initiative, “Florida Gathering,” will be a panel discussion on Thursday, March 21, 7-8:30 p.m., in the duPont-Ball Library, Room 25L. 

Panelists include representatives from Exchange for Change, the Florida Prison Education Project, Writers with Conviction and ESUBA (Abuse spelled backwards), as well as Mark Inch, secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections. The event is free and open to the public.

CEP’s mission is to provide high-quality education for incarcerated people residing in Florida. Access to higher education offers incarcerated individuals meaningful opportunities for personal growth and intellectual engagement, which benefits our community as a whole. Funding for its work, including support for the Florida Gathering, is provided by the Laughing Gull Foundation. 

In addition to the public panel, representatives from CEP and four higher education-in-prison programs from Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee will meet during this two-day gathering to exchange insights. Among the topics will be their experiences with higher education in prison programs, their challenges and the prospects that come along with this type of educational commitment. As a collective, representatives will aim to create a Florida consortium of higher education-in-prison programs.

Sandra Carr