Imagine trying to earn a university degree in an environment defined by constant disruptions, no privacy, impending court dates and ongoing family struggles, and persistent self-doubt. For the students enrolled in the 天美传媒鈥檚 Prison Education Partnership, these struggles are daily realities of their educational journey. 

On Wednesday, May 20, eight students at the Maine State Prison marked a hard-earned milestone. Their commencement ceremony showed what access to higher education can make possible when students are given the opportunity, structure, and support to keep moving forward. 

It took graduate Dustin Carpenter ten years of steady, patient effort to earn his Bachelor of Liberal Studies. 鈥淭ime will pass no matter what,鈥� Carpenter reflected. 鈥淲ho will you be when it does? Don鈥檛 watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.鈥�

Turning to the faculty and staff who supported his decade-long journey, he added a phrase that cuts straight to the core of why this work matters: 鈥淭hank you for treating our minds as something valuable.鈥�

Access that meets students where they are 

UMA is committed to making higher education accessible to anyone in Maine, wherever they are in their educational journey. In a place like the Maine State Prison, that means giving students a genuine chance to find their confidence, earn a degree, and become problem-solvers who make their communities stronger.

The impact of that access was evident in graduates鈥� accomplishments and vision:

• T. Tyler Thibeau, named UMA’s Interdisciplinary Studies Student of the Year, has completed his sentence. He crossed the commencement stage at the Augusta Civic Center on May 9, and is now enrolled in a graduate computer science program at the University of Maine pursuing both a master鈥檚 degree and a Ph.D.
• Thomas Heaberlin, recipient of the Perseverance Award for his resilience through setbacks, earned his Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and was recently approved to begin graduate studies.
• Abdihamit Ali, who earned an Associate of Science in Justice Studies, put his sense of purpose simply: 鈥淚 want to give more than I have ever taken.鈥�
• Jomo White, looked beyond the limits of his current circumstances, declaring,  鈥淒iscipline can overcome doubt. I don鈥檛 plan to look for opportunities, I plan to create them. We can accomplish tremendous things beyond these gates.鈥�

Making learning possible 

Creating access to a college education in prison takes sustained effort from everyone involved. Faculty, staff, and correctional partners work together to make learning possible in an environment where course materials, technology access, and study time can all require careful coordination. Maine State Prison Warden Nathan Thayer noted that UMA staff consistently advocate for students to have what they need to succeed, a process that requires both institutions to keep finding practical ways around barriers most college students never have to consider. 

Overcoming those barriers make each completed course, and each completed degree, especially meaningful. Keynote speaker John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global, spoke from experience about what education can make possible. He served a 16-year sentence beginning at age 21 before earning his own college degrees, and he reminded the audience that completing college coursework in prison sets an example of healing, perseverance, and possibility for the students who follow. 

To date, UMA has awarded more than 160 degrees through the Prison Education Partnership. Behind each degree is a student who chose to keep learning, even when the path was difficult, and who now carries that education forward into the communities they belong to. Welcoming this year鈥檚 graduates, UMA President Jenifer Cushman said, 鈥淭oday, you become UMA alumni. You are part of this university and we are proud of you.鈥� 

Each April, Second Chance Month invites communities across the country to recognize the challenges justice-impacted individuals face as they rebuild their lives after imprisonment and the opportunities that can help them succeed.

Across the United States, nearly 2 million people are incarcerated in state and federal prisons, and an estimated 5 million formerly incarcerated individuals are working to rebuild their lives in their communities. Many encounter barriers to housing, employment, mental health care and substance use support while also navigating the lasting stigma and trauma of having done time. These challenges contribute to high rates of within the first few years after release.

Education has proven to be one of the most effective ways to change that trajectory. Research shows that access to college programs while incarcerated can significantly reduce recidivism while improving long-term employment opportunities and community stability.

At the 天美传媒, the Prison Education Partnership helps create those opportunities. Founded in 2006, the program has become a national leader in higher education in prison through a strong collaboration with the Maine Department of Corrections and the dedication of UMA faculty and staff.

Through PEP, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students take college courses, earn degrees and build skills that prepare them for life beyond incarceration. The program connects students in Maine correctional facilities with UMA instructors and academic support, creating pathways to opportunity that continue long after release.

According to Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections Randall Liberty, while Maine鈥檚 overall return-to-custody rate is approximately 23 percent, the rate for individuals who earn a UMA degree while incarcerated drops to a staggering 0.05 percent.

鈥淓ducation is the most effective way not only to break the cycle of incarceration, but also to restore the dignity and humanity of the students we serve,鈥� said UMA Director of the Prison Education Program Daniel McGloin. 鈥淏y equipping our students with the tools to rewrite their narratives, they are proving every day that their past does not have to define their future. Their success shows that when determination is paired with access to a college degree, it can change the trajectory of a person鈥檚 life.鈥�

For many students, the classroom becomes a place where new possibilities begin to take shape.

鈥淯MA showed me the light within myself,” said T. Tyler Thibeau, a UMA PEP graduate currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Maine. “They gave me the space and encouragement to shed toxic layers, rediscover my curiosity and love of learning, and use that to become a researcher working to reduce recidivism.鈥澛�

Graduates of the program are building careers, supporting their families and contributing to their communities across Maine. Their experiences also enrich the academic community at UMA, bringing new perspectives, resilience and determination to the classroom.

Second Chance Month offers a moment to reflect on the role education can play in strengthening communities and expanding opportunity. Through the Prison Education Partnership, UMA continues to support students determined to build new paths forward and to demonstrate the power of education to transform lives.

Check out local events commemorating Second Chance Month on 天美传媒 Heritage Month Calendar as well as learning resources concerning the significance of Second Chance Month in Maine and beyond. You can keep up with more content like this by and submitting events and resources to promote inclusion and belonging in our community.

Professor Ellen Taylor, joined via Zoom by two of her first-year incarcerated students, presented at the 14th National Conference on Higher Education in Prison in New Orleans. Their April 10 panel, 鈥淲ords, Sentences, and Lives: The Emancipatory Power of Prison Education,鈥� explored how incarcerated students engage with academic writing and how their experiences can inform stronger, more inclusive prison education programs.

The presentation emphasized the importance of elevating student voices鈥攅specially those serving long-term or life sentences鈥攁s vital contributors to program design and to improving prison climate. Taylor and her students shared their experiences to highlight how language, literacy, and agency in storytelling empower them as scholars and potential leaders, underscoring the need to include student perspectives in policy and curriculum development. Student-led insight can enhance agency and foster meaningful academic growth behind bars.