Project Summary

The University of Pennsylvania is partnering with Superintendent Gina Clark and formerly incarcerated educators to deliver five conflict resolution and reentry-focused workshops at SCI Chester. Topics include artificial intelligence, design thinking, negotiation, and family advocacy. The sessions promote critical and creative thinking while equipping participants with transferable problem-solving skills. All workshops assume participants will be preparing for reentry with a focus on navigating relationships within social systems. Sessions incorporate principles from the Wellness Action Recovery Plan (W.R.A.P.) and feature a mobile app–based curriculum (“Free Pass”), co-designed with system-impacted leaders, that provides ongoing access to tools and strategies after release.

Key Activities

• Deliver five reentry-focused workshops at SCI Chester, co-taught by Penn faculty and formerly incarcerated educators.

• Introduce and pilot the Free Pass app within a six-week blended curriculum combining digital tools with in-person instruction.

• Collaborate with directly impacted educators to shape curriculum and future training.

• Partner with local universities to strengthen the Philadelphia-area prison education ecosystem.

• Share findings statewide, including hosting a PA CHEP convening at Penn in Spring 2026 to advance pathways toward credit-bearing prison education.

Impact

This initiative equips incarcerated students with skills and resources to navigate both in-prison conflicts and reentry challenges. The workshops are helping to make a case for an experimental housing unit organized around conflict resolution principles. By embedding digital tools, peer mentorship, and system-impacted leadership, the program meets immediate student needs while advancing a broader statewide effort to link higher education with reentry preparation.