By Donald Gilpin

More than 300 students at the East Jersey State Prison and at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women will be using 52 laptops and other technology equipment donated by Princeton University, as they gain skills for transitions to college campuses and the job market.

The gift will be used to equip mobile computer labs in the two state prisons as part of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) consortium and will enhance the work of the Princeton University Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI), according to a Princeton University press release.

“Because of this important donation, our students at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women and at the East Jersey State Prison facility will now have the opportunity to access these laptops as part of their coursework,” said New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, as quoted in the release.

“It not only enhances their educational experience, but it also builds on their overall computer literacy,” she continued. “It prepares them for their next stages in life, in the community, on modern college campuses, and in their careers. And what we truly recognize at NJDOC is that this donation is more than the physical laptops.”

Speaking at a January 29 presentation event, Princeton University Provost Jennifer Rexford praised the work of the PTI and the accomplishments of the partnerships involved. “The prison teaching initiative, PTI as we call it, is really an example of the University’s mission at work in the world and I’m really thrilled that through this donation of mobile laptops that we are able to match Princeton’s mission with these resources,” she said. “We’re also extremely grateful for our partner institutions in higher ed who are also with us today, particularly Rutgers University and Raritan Valley Community College.”

The University’s PTI recruits, trains, and supports volunteer instruction for courses accredited by Raritan Valley Community College and Rutgers School of Criminal Justice for incarcerated students throughout New Jersey.

“With this donation, we celebrate the commitment of our students to their educational journeys, and their resilience, curiosity, and intelligence that inspires us to all continuously improve the educational programming and opportunities we offer,” said PTI Associate Director Jill Stockwell. “These labs, which will be used by incarcerated undergraduates throughout New Jersey, represent a vital step in preparing our students for the 21st century campuses and job markets they will come home to.”

The PTI, founded in 2005, “seeks to bridge Princeton University’s academic and service-driven missions by providing the highest quality post-secondary education to incarcerated students in New Jersey,” the press release states.

Princeton graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff who volunteer receive evidence-based pedagogy training. They diversify their teaching portfolios and they can provide pathways to Princeton’s campus for formerly incarcerated undergraduates through a number of different internship programs.

Since its inception seven years ago, the PTI internship programming has expanded to include three internships and a focus on digital literacy and intensive technology coaching during the summer. Past interns had noted that the computer skills and comfort with technology that they had gained were the most valuable element of the summer program.

“Providing laptops in prison will significantly enhance incarcerated students’ ability to learn by granting them access to essential educational tools,” said PTI alumnus and Rutgers University graduate Ali Muslim. “With the ability to conduct research, draft essays, and explore academic subjects more efficiently, students will be able to engage in deeper, more independent learning.”

Muslim went on to reflect on the experience he had after a long prison term. “The benefits will also extend beyond prison walls,” he added. “When I was released in 2021 after being incarcerated since 1985, I had never used a laptop, making life on the outside feel like a foreign land. Integrating this technology into prison education will better prepare individuals for reintegration into a rapidly evolving digital world.”

Gen Van Doren, director of the Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) Returning and Incarcerated Student Education (RISE) Program, emphasized the impact of the donation of technology and the value of the partnership with Princeton University and NJ-STEP. “The expansion of technology has the potential to touch every student, whether it’s in English or business classes, communication, science, and math,” she said. “Our students are incredibly proud to call themselves college students and RVCC is really proud to welcome the 400-plus RISE graduates since our inception. This donation to me serves as a reminder of what can happen when we have committed partners who are willing to work together in the best interest of our students.”

NJ STEP Director Chris Agans echoed Van Doren’s sentiments and went on to point out the value to the state of New Jersey of the donation and the partnerships. “I’m talking about the mutual benefits of increased public safety, revitalized communities, intergenerational education, skilled labor, improved earnings, wealth production, creative solutions, and an overall reduction in immediate and collateral costs of crime and prison,” he said. “And that’s not just for any one person or any group — that’s for us collectively as a state. And this is only possible because our consortium continues to work together in this really unique public private partnership.”