The University of Scranton's Prison Education Program, which began in the fall of 2021 at Dallas State Correctional Institution, received a total of $80,000 from the Sunshine Lady Foundation to the support the program for two years. The program will receive $40,000 each year.

The University's Prison Education Program provides an opportunity for incarcerated individuals to earn an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. The program aligns with Scranton's Jesuit mission to extend education and care to marginalized and under-served populations.

Through the program, inmates can take general education college-credit courses taught by University professors on-site at the correctional facility. Participants can earn 60 credits for an associate's degree in just two and a half years.

The University held a graduation ceremony for the first cohort of nine students who earned their associate degrees in December 2023 at Dallas-SCI. The second cohort of 14 students are expected to complete the requirements for an associate's degree in December of 2024.

The University's Prison Education Program is offered free to all incarcerated students who are accepted to the program. The funding support from Sunshine Lady Foundation will be used to help defray the costs of the students' textbooks, which are vital for the program since the internet is not available to incarcerated students. The funding will also provide support for tutors and other expenses associated with the program.

The Sunshine Lady Foundation was founded in 1996 in North Carolina by the late Doris Buffett, sister of Warren Buffet. The Foundation is inspired by Doris' vision and energy and is funded through her immense generosity. The Foundation invests in quality higher education in prison and reentry programs in the United States.

Christopher Haw, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies, serves as program director of the University's Prison Education Program.