Rhodes Expands Prison Education to Full Degree

Rhodes College will launch a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies for incarcerated women this summer. The expansion is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. The new program will operate at the Women's Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee. It will also support the growth of educational offerings at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary's men's facility.

The initiative began in the fall of 2016 as a Great Books Discussion Group. Dr. Stephen Haynes, a professor of religious studies and humanities, directed the early efforts. About 25 women participated in the initial sessions. Haynes noted that the participants quickly requested formal college credit rather than informal discussion. The college responded by developing a certificate program in liberal arts. By May of the previous year, approximately 45 women had graduated with these certificates.

Dr. Haynes stated that inmates involved in higher education are 43% less likely to return to prison. He described the final decade of his 30-year tenure at Rhodes as a period when he sought a challenging new focus. The program now involves weekly travel by professors and students to the Henning facility. They gather near the statue of former college president Charles Diehl before beginning the drive to the low-security rehabilitation center.

Inmate Jameshia Davis, who is serving a 24-year sentence for drug and firearm possession, completed the certificate program. She subsequently became a tutor for other women. Davis said she initially doubted the rigor of the coursework, comparing Rhodes College to Harvard. She now plans to continue toward a bachelor's degree upon her release. Her parole hearing is scheduled for May.

More than 70 students have volunteered for the program. Seniors Sophie Stevenson and Laurel Phillips lead discussion groups and organizational activities. They have been involved for two to three years and describe the inmates as friends. They report hearing about the women's families, pets, and upcoming parole hearings. Stevenson said the experience has defined her college career and influenced her future career plans.

Dr. Lori Garner, a Rhodes English professor, has participated in the program for about five years. She said the inmates' diverse life experiences improve her teaching in on-campus classes. As of spring 2025, 92 incarcerated women at the center had accumulated 765 Rhodes credits. Of those, 32 have earned certificates. Program sponsors are now seeking donors to help sustain the expanded degree program into the future.