Thrive For Life Addresses the Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities (ACCU)

Earlier this month, Thrive For Life had the great honor of joining our friends at the Jesuit Prison Education Network (JPEN) on a panel discussion at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities (ACCU). This yearly gathering of Catholic university leaders offers an opportunity to come together as a faith community to address the challenges facing higher education and formulate strategies to rise to the occasion. 

This year, representatives from Thrive For Life, the Jesuit Social Research Institute (JSRI) and Loyola University-New Orleans, and the St. Louis University Prison Education Program addressed a gathering of presidents on the growth of education programs behind the prison walls. With the recent restoration of Pell Grants for incarcerated students, the higher education community has a ripe opportunity to bring the transformative power of college to our brothers and sisters behind the walls. Attendees had the chance to hear more about how to launch effective and sustainable programming that accompanies these students and what components are necessary to ensure a proper level of support for people when they reenter from prison. 

For the last several months, many Jesuit universities have taken the lead in bringing more Catholic institutions of higher learning into the world of prison ministry. Under the leadership of Fr. Tom Curran, SJ, JPEN has worked to develop comprehensive and functional models for prison education programs throughout the Jesuit Central and Southern Province with hopes of expanding its reach to other areas of the United States. Most excitingly, Thrive For Life has begun work with JPEN to identify suitable target regions to open brand new houses of studies in different geographic areas with the support and collaboration of leading university partners. 

We are grateful to have been able to share our important work with the larger community of Catholic higher education. Join us as we continue our journey of expansion across the country to accompany more of our brothers and sisters continuing their studies!