Tufts Prison Initiative

The Tufts University Prison Initiative of the Tisch College of Civic Life (TUPIT) brings Tufts faculty and students together with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, educators, organizers, corrections staff, and scholars of criminal justice to facilitate creative and collaborative responses to the problems of mass incarceration and racial injustice. Extending the vision of Tufts University and Tisch College, TUPIT is dedicated to providing transformative educational experiences that foster student, faculty, and community members’ capacities to become active citizens of change in the world.

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TUPIT News

A woman wears a sculpture that shows her head behind bars.

Rewriting Their Prison Stories, Sentence by Sentence

A first-of-its-kind national journal of literature and art gives voice to hundreds of people affected by incarceration

students in a classroom

Educational Program Aims to Lower Recidivism Rates, Improve Quality of Life for Inmates

A $100K grant from the Cummings Foundation will fund this Tisch College program that supports associate degrees for people in a Massachusetts correctional institution

A man standing speaking to an audience

After Prison, Education Equals Opportunity

At this year's prison education symposium hosted by thePrison Initiative of Tisch College, formerly incarcerated scholar Stanley Andrisse shared how his path from prison to Ph.D. highlights the transformative potential of higher education.

black and white photo of people working in a field

Bringing the Incarcerated Millions into View

A new exhibition at Tufts University Art Galleries sheds light on those imprisoned and their families.

shadow of prison bars on a stone floor

Tracking COVID-19 Behind Bars

A new Tufts group draws attention to the spread of coronavirus in prisons, jails, immigration detention centers, and juvenile facilities—which affects us all.

students in a classroom

Addressing Mass Incarceration through Education

The Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College has adapted and persevered during COVID-19, providing invaluable opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals.

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