Rhodes College expands prison degree program

Rhodes College is expanding its prison education initiative to offer full four-year degrees to incarcerated students.

The expansion is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. The money supports a new Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program at the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee. This low-security facility is part of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary system. The program will also help expand educational offerings at the adjacent men’s facility. Enrollments for the new degree track begin in the summer of 2026.

Dr. Stephen Haynes has directed the Liberal Arts in Prison program since its inception. He is a 30-year professor of religious studies and humanities at Rhodes. He noted that the initiative began in the fall of 2016 as a small Great Books Discussion Group with about 25 participants. The group quickly determined that inmates wanted formal college credit rather than casual discussion. This led to the creation of a certificate program that currently operates weekly.

Jameshia Davis is one of the inmates who has completed the existing certificate track. She is serving a 24-year sentence for drug and firearm possession. Davis described the initial hesitation she felt about studying at a prestigious institution. She stated, “I thought it was hard at first, because when you hear Rhodes College, it makes you think of like Harvard or something.” Davis has since become a tutor for other incarcerated women. Her parole hearing is scheduled for May 2026.

Dr. Lori Garner, an English professor at Rhodes, has participated in the prison program for approximately five years. She stated that interacting with the inmates improves her teaching on campus. She said, “I really think they make me a better teacher. When I learn their perspectives, I can bring them back into my classes at Rhodes.” Garner noted that the students bring diverse life experiences to the same texts she has taught for decades.

Sophie Stevenson and Laurel Phillips are senior students at Rhodes who volunteer for the program. They lead discussion groups and assist with organizational activities. More than 70 students have volunteered for the initiative. Phillips said the group has formed close friendships with the inmates. She noted, “We hear about their kids and their grandkids and the pets and the birthdays and special occasions and when they are going up for parole and like potentially going to be released.” Stevenson said the experience defined her college career and influenced her future career goals.

As of spring 2025, 92 incarcerated women at the facility had accumulated 765 Rhodes credits. Of those students, 32 had earned certificates in liberal arts. Haynes said that by May 2026, approximately 45 women will have graduated with these certificates. He cited research indicating that people involved in higher education and prison are 43% less likely to return to incarceration. The program aims to realize this potential for the current cohort.

The new degree program represents a shift from certificate-based learning to full academic tracking. Davis plans to continue her education toward a bachelor’s degree upon her release. The Mellon Foundation grant provides the financial structure necessary to support this expansion. Program sponsors are currently seeking additional donors to ensure the initiative's long-term financial sustainability.