No One is Finished Yet: Ignatian Hope in Higher Education in Prison

As a special educator, I have always believed in access to education — that everyone should have the same opportunity to learn and access curricula and materials in a way that fosters maximum independence. Furthermore, I attended a Jesuit (Creighton) university, so I am very familiar with the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly the dignity of the human person, the call to community and participation, and solidarity — that we are one human family.

I suppose it was that intersection of my beliefs and values that led me to reach out to Fr. Tom to ask how I could get involved with JPEN. When describing the efforts of the JPEN, Fr. Tom often uses the phrase “our shared humanity.” I have now attended several gatherings of collaborators in Colorado who are addressing higher education in prison, and a few things occur to me about our “shared humanity”:

• We are absolutely a human family. When we are all in a room together – educators, Department of Corrections employees, formerly incarcerated advocates – none of us is being judged by our mistakes. We have a shared purpose, and each person brings a different perspective and set of skills, essential to the work.
• It seems that often, various systems have failed people before they even arrive to a carceral space — the education system, a family unit that didn’t provide basic care and love, the health care system. According to the Brookings Institution, males born into families in the bottom 10%  income bracket are 20 times more likely to be in prison than those from the wealthiest families. Limited options often limit choices.
• Education demonstrates care for the whole person (the Ignatian notion of cura personalis), as it provides an opportunity for reflection, self-understanding, conversion, and ideally, an opportunity to contribute positively to society. Prison doesn’t predetermine a person’s potential.
• We are never done growing! We all have more to learn and do in this life, and as a favorite Pastor used to say in his homilies, “God is never done with us. Thank goodness for that!”

It has been a privilege to witness the good work being done by JPEN, and I’m so encouraged by its growth. As Ignatian educators, we are called to preserve the dignity of the human person, invite others to community and participation, and remain in solidarity with our human sisters and brothers.

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Visit the Jesuits of Central & Southern Province support page to learn more about how you can contribute.

To designate your gift to the Jesuit Prison Education Network, scroll down the webpage to "Donation information" to select a gift amount. Then scroll down to the "Designation" box, click on it, and select JPEN from the drop-down menu.