The Yale Prison Education Initiative Celebrates its First Commencement

the Dwight Hall Yale Prison Education Initiative (YPEI), in collaboration with the University of New Haven (UNH), held its inaugural commencement ceremony at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, Connecticut. Seven students received associate degrees in general studies from UNH, marking a significant milestone. Notably, six of these graduates are currently incarcerated.

YPEI, established in 2016 by Zelda Roland ’08, ’16 Ph.D., began offering credit-bearing Yale courses to incarcerated students in Connecticut in 2018, marking a historic moment in prison education. Thanks to a transformative $1.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a partnership with UNH in 2021, the program expanded to offer UNH courses and degrees. This led to a remarkable increase in class offerings, with Yale credits seamlessly transferring towards UNH degrees.

The program’s growth has been notable, with the addition of staff members Vanessa Estimé as Assistant Director of YPEI and Tracy Westmoreland as Transfer Coordinator and Site Director at Danbury federal prison, where YPEI launched programming for incarcerated women in October 2022. By summer 2023, YPEI will have engaged 93 students in credit-bearing coursework since its inception.

Organizing a commencement ceremony within the confines of a correctional facility posed unique challenges, but the team worked tirelessly to create a memorable event. The ceremony, held in a visiting room at MacDougall-Walker, featured decorations, flowers, a podium, and a blue backdrop for photos. Graduates donned caps, gowns, and stoles, cheered on by their families, friends, faculty, and staff from YPEI and UNH, alongside other YPEI students. Notable attendees included Governor Ned Lamont, commencement speaker; Sharon Kugler, outgoing Yale University Chaplain who delivered an invocation; Sheahon Zenger, interim president of UNH; and Sharonda Carlos, Connecticut Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner.