Rhodes College expands prison education to four-year degrees

Rhodes College is expanding its on-site educational programs for incarcerated women, adding a four-year degree option to its existing certificate curriculum.

The expansion follows a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. This funding will support a new Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center. Inmates at the low-security facility in Henning, Tennessee, can begin enrolling in the full degree program this summer.

The initiative, known as Liberal Arts in Prison, originated in the fall of 2016. It began as a Great Books Discussion Group that attracted roughly 25 women. Dr. Stephen Haynes, a 30-year professor of religious studies and humanities at Rhodes, directed the program. He noted that participants quickly sought college credit rather than informal discussions. The college responded by developing a formal certificate program in liberal arts.

As of the spring of 2025, 92 incarcerated women at the facility had accumulated 765 Rhodes credits. Thirty-two of those women had completed the certificate requirements. The program operates weekly, with faculty and students traveling from the Rhodes campus to the prison. They gather at the statue of former college president Charles Diehl before heading to the facility to teach courses that mirror the standard Rhodes curriculum.

Jameshia Davis is one of the women who completed the certificate program. She is currently serving a 24-year sentence for drug and firearm possession. Davis described her initial hesitation about attending a prestigious institution like Rhodes while in prison. She eventually finished the coursework and became a tutor for other inmates. Davis has a parole hearing scheduled for May. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree after her release. She stated that her progress encourages her high school son to pursue his own education.

Rhodes students volunteer to assist with the program. Sophomore Sophie Stevenson and senior Laurel Phillips are among more than 70 students who have participated. They lead discussion groups and help with organizational activities. Phillips noted that the relationship extends beyond academics, as the group discusses family, pets, and parole dates. Stevenson said the experience has defined her college career and influenced her career goals. She expressed interest in continuing work in prisons after graduation.

Faculty members also report professional benefits from the program. Dr. Lori Garner, an English professor at Rhodes, has been involved for about five years. She said learning the perspectives of the inmates helps her improve her teaching in regular college classes. She observed that the incarcerated students bring diverse life experiences to literary works she has taught for decades. Haynes cited research indicating that people involved in higher education and prison settings are 43% less likely to return to prison. He described the participants as human beings with futures who possess significant potential.

The program is currently seeking additional donors to help sustain its operations into the future. The expansion to the men’s facility at West Tennessee State Penitentiary is also supported by the Mellon grant. The new degree program will allow WTRC inmates to enroll in a full four-year program as part of the Liberal Arts in Prison initiative.