UNC's education program for incarcerated individuals celebrates 50th anniversary

At the end of 2024, UNC’s Correctional Education Program celebrated their 50th anniversary. The program is based in the William and Ida Friday Center and has provided academic courses and other educational resources to thousands of incarcerated individuals in state prisons across North Carolina. 

Lisa Kukla, director of the program, said about 500 people participate in the program annually, taking general education courses in subjects including history, English, communications and math. Half of the classes are self-paced courses sent through the mail, while the other half are in-person. 

Kukla said the purpose of the courses is to meet the prisoners where they are and equip them with the tools they need to be successful in society.

“Research has shown that anyone who takes courses, from GED to college, the higher the level, the less likely they are to return to prison,” Kukla said. 

Brooke Wheeler, superintendent for education services with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction, also said that these programs aim to prepare people for reentry and the work force. She partners with community colleges, public and private universities to provide education in all state prisons in North Carolina. 

According to Wheeler, programs like UNC’s can “make or break” somebody’s life because individuals can earn various licenses or degrees. Wheeler said this gives prison education the power to not only change the lives of those incarcerated, but also their families and future generations. 

“They're important, because these students are going to go back out into society,” Kukla said. “We want these students to be the best version of themselves. We want to give them hope and opportunity.” 

Ariannah Kubli, a graduate student and teaching fellow in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, teaches writing and literature classes at several facilities. Kubli said she began teaching with the program because of her belief that anyone who wants a liberal arts education deserves to have access to one.

For Kubli, the experience has been fulfilling and meaningful, largely because of her students' enthusiasm.

“They're the sorts of students who, when I assign a short story out of an anthology, they come back the next class having read not only that short story, but five others in addition to it, and they want to talk about all of them,” Kubli said. “That's the sort of energy, that really eager, positive energy, that they're bringing to the classroom, which for me as an instructor is really, really incredible and a special experience.”

This eagerness stems from the attitude students have toward the program, Kubli said. She said they view it as a privilege and approach each class with a desire to ask questions, complete readings and engage in discussions. 

In addition, Kubli said the diversity of perspectives in the classroom, from differences in age to life experience and world views, enriches the class discussions and helps to make the program rewarding and unique.

“A lot of these people come from families who don't have a lot of folks in their family or in their community who have gone to a university, especially a flagship university like UNC,” Kubli said. “And so it's a very special experience for them and they really take advantage of it.”

Brian Scott, a formerly incarcerated individual, began taking courses through the program while at Nash Correctional Institution. He completed various correspondence courses, in subjects like English, sociology, African American studies and more. 

For Scott, the program not only grew his knowledge, but helped him to become a better person. 

“I learned about a lot of different cultures, for example, that I had never been exposed to. I learned about why things that we see around us have happened because of things in the past that led up to it,” Scott said. “So it increased my empathy, it increased my understanding, and it made me a better person, not just a better student.” 

Scott said that while he was incarcerated, he took the classes very seriously, dedicating himself to learning every little thing. He also said that feedback from professors helped him to build the confidence needed to start his nonprofit, OurJourney, which helps other incarcerated individuals make the transition back into society. 

“This is one of the things that people lose when they're incarcerated,” Scott said. “They lose confidence because they're just a number. They’re just part of a system that really tries to take their individuality away from them. So when you come out of prison, if you've had these experiences where your confidence has been uplifted and you as a person have been affirmed, it has broad implications.”

Wheeler said that North Carolina is now recognized as a leader in prison education, and that there are not enough education programs in prisons nationally. North Carolina has been able to grow its prison education system partly due to an executive order signed by former Governor Roy Cooper in January 2024. The order, which outlined a coordinated, whole-of-government effort, aims to improve reentry services for formerly incarcerated individuals. 

“I love that UNC invests in this because it makes a really huge difference, not only in the lives of the students themselves, but also in the families and in the worlds that they go back to,” Kubli said. “They're able to bring a different perspective on their positions, on their lives, on the world and on what they can do in the world.” 

Wheeler and Kukla both expressed their shared desire to improve UNC’s correctional education program by working toward more structured pathways that lead to a credential or degree. Kukla also said she hopes the program can continue to grow and serve more students by collaborating with new departments and improving accessibility. 

“Hopefully it’ll be around for another 50 years, helping people to better their lives,” Kubli said.

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