Siena Heights University has a long history of bringing higher education to diverse and often underserved student populations. From starting a degree completion program for professional adults in a former elementary school in Southfield, Mich., more than 45 years ago, to becoming a pioneer in online higher education, Siena Heights has led the way.

It is now leading again. Thanks in part to the federal Second Chance Pell program and a partnership between the Michigan Department of Corrections and Jackson College, Siena Heights will offer the Corrections Education Program for those incarcerated in Michigan prisons. Renamed the Rising Education Program, it will offer a bachelor’s degree option for those prisoners who have completed their associate’s degree through Jackson College.

“Siena has a longstanding relationship with Jackson College currently,” said Jim Gornick, SHU’s associate director of REP. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to have those prisoners who were in the Jackson College program working towards their associate’s degree to continue on and potentially earn their bachelor’s degree in business administration.”

Gornick is uniquely qualified to speak on prisoner education. Before arriving in spring 2021 to start and build SHU’s program, he served for many years in the Michigan correctional system as a school principal. In fact, he was at corrections facilities in Jackson, Ionia, Saginaw and Lapeer, helping prisoners complete either their high school diplomas or GEDs.

“About two-thirds of prisoners had a high school diploma or GED prior to arriving at the prison,” Gornick said. “We were servicing about a third of the population. Of that population, only about 6 percent or so had a postsecondary degree. We knew that we were able to offer that GED credential and some vocational training to a smaller subset of prisoners, but we knew there was a much larger percentage of prisoners that potentially had an interest in furthering their education.”

In 2015 Jackson College was one of three state community colleges to begin teaching courses for prisoners, offering an associate’s degree in general business. Working with JC, Gornick said REP will offer the bachelor’s degree in business administration to prisoners at Jackson’s Cooper Street Correctional Facility beginning in January 2022.

“We are fortunate to have a longstanding partnership with Jackson College already,” he said. “And also we are really hoping that we can work closely with the MDOC.”

Gornick said he will lean on his experience in corrections education to build the program. Classes will be conducted in person at the correctional facility, and will be taught by both SHU and JC faculty. The hope is to have an initial cohort of 20 students, who will move through the program together.

“We feel it’s really important and there is a lot of value in having them be together, working through these courses together,” Gornick said. “Hopefully they will start together and finish together and celebrate some of their accomplishments together. Oftentimes prisoners are solitary and stay by themselves. It’s really important in their growth and development to be able to share ideas with one another and feel OK to be able to explore questions.”

He said building a good relationship with the MDOC will be key. As another way to build that relationship, Siena Heights will offer tuition discounts to MDOC employees who want to complete their degrees with SHU.

Another benefit will be incorporating Siena Heights’ mission into the program.

“It gives the instructors the opportunity to talk about the soft skills and the personal growth and development of these prisoners above and beyond the reading and math and other coursework they are expected to complete,” Gornick said. “It gives them other ways of looking at solving problems instead of what they have done in the past.”

Gornick said the enrollment goal is to have 130 REP students in the program. Eventually, the goal is to expand the REP around the state to other correctional facilities. And he has seen the positive results of prisoners who advance in their education.

“When Siena Heights came along and decided they wanted to consider partnering (with the MDOC), I saw the excitement in a lot of our prisoners who wanted to continue on and eventually earns a bachelor’s degree,” Gornick said. “It’s always satisfying for me to see a prisoner who really grows and develops as a student and ends up graduating. Just to see that confidence they have gained, not to mention the family members who come to graduation ceremonies. This program gives me the opportunity to continue working with the prisoner population.”

Gornick said there is overwhelming evidence that prisoners who earn a degree or learn a skilled trade while in prison are much more likely to succeed once they return to society.

“There is a positive correlation between the reduction of the unemployment rate … and they are less apt to return to prison,” he said. “Every dollar we are spending as a state, we are going to gain back $3, $4 or $5 just by that person not returning and being a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. It does pay for itself.”