US News
Wyoming incarcerated women graduate with first bachelor's degrees from Pathways from Prison
A cohort of six women at the Wyoming Women’s Center earned four-year degrees through a University of Wyoming program supported by federal Pell Grants.
The short version
- Six women at the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk became the first cohort in the state to earn four-year bachelor's degrees through the University of Wyoming's Pathways from Prison program.
- A 2022 expansion of the federal Second Chance Pell Experiment enabled the inmates to access Pell Grant eligibility to fund their four-year general studies degrees.
- The Pathways from Prison program plans to graduate a cohort of incarcerated men next summer and expand to additional facilities.
Key facts
- Six incarcerated women at the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk earned four-year bachelor's degrees in general studies from the University of Wyoming.[Associated Press]
- The graduates represent the first cohort in Wyoming to earn bachelor's degrees through the university's Pathways from Prison initiative, led by philosophy professor Rob Colter.[Associated Press]
- In 2022, the U.S. Department of Education selected the program to participate in the Second Chance Pell Experiment, opening Pell Grant funding to incarcerated students.[Associated Press]
- Prior to receiving the federal Second Chance Pell Experiment funding, the Pathways from Prison program offered free university courses but did not award degrees.[Associated Press]
- The cohort celebrated their graduation on August 20, 2026, during a ceremony held at the correctional facility.[Associated Press]
- The program intends to graduate a group of men from the Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington in summer 2027 and expand further using secured funds.[Associated Press]