Georgetown University introduces degree program for Maryland prisoners

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Georgetown University has introduced a new program that will allow some Maryland prison inmates to earn bachelor’s degrees.

Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative

The Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative (PJI) will lead the five-year program and will choose its first 25 students in the fall 2021 semester.

Upon the program’s end, at least 125 inmates within the Maryland prison system will have earned bachelor’s degrees from the prestigious private university in Washington, D.C.

“We are excited to build upon the success of the Prison Scholars Program and provide an opportunity for students to earn a college degree while incarcerated,” said PJI Director Marc Howard. “A degree from Georgetown and the interdisciplinary coursework behind it will prepare our graduates to reenter their communities and the workforce with pride in their academic achievements.”

How it works

Georgetown and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) signed a memorandum of understanding on March 17, the first step to making the program a reality, PJI said in a news release.

Upon completion of the 120-credit program, students will earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with a focus to one of three majors: cultural humanities, interdisciplinary social science, or global intellectual history.

Admission to the program will likely be competitive, says PJI. Applicants will be accepted from across the state prison system and will be evaluated based on preparedness, motivation, and potential to succeed in the program through both admissions exams and interviews.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED.

“The opportunity to earn a higher education will pave the way for incarcerated people to return to the outside world with resources they need to find “financial stability and socioeconomic mobility,” PJI said.