Mission
"As a teaching and learning community, the College holds that knowledge is a good to be pursued both for its own sake and for the intellectual, moral, and physical well-being of individuals and of society at large."--Grinnell College Mission Statement
The Liberal Arts in Prison Program extends these convictions to incarcerated students at local prisons in order to engage them in experiences of new knowledge, respectful exchange of ideas, and progressive levels of achievement. We believe this program supports the work of corrections staff to protect communities and transform lives, making the prisons safer, and preparing inmates to return renewed to their families and communities. Participation in the Liberal Arts in Prison Program enhances our dedication to the core values of the College, intensifies learning, and prepares our graduates for mature civic engagement.
History
The Liberal Arts in Prison Program started in the spring of 2003 as a creative writing workshop at the Newton Correctional Facility. Howard Burkle, professor emeritus of religious studies, taught the first course, which included four Grinnell student participants. When Professor Burkle could not continue teaching the following semester, Laura Matter '05 and Ursula Hill '05 facilitated the program's transition into a student-run, student-staffed volunteer program.
The following years have seen a steady and radical expansion in the program: course offerings expanded from creative writing to other creative arts courses, and then to topics across the liberal arts; students began offering courses at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women, and faculty began giving a series of once-a-week lectures. In the fall of 2008, the college hired a full-time coordinator and offered its first college-level course at Newton; in spring 2009, the faculty approved a 5-year pilot to develop and implement a First Year of College Program at the Newton Correctional Facility.
