The HWPEP initiative: Illuminating purpose

“Even in places like prison, you can find purpose.” – Hope-Western Prison Program student, 2023

Imagine waking up and being handed a detailed itinerary that plans out your day. In the morning you go to the chow hall for breakfast, then you can go to the school building. After that you might visit the chow hall again, go to study hall, your room, or the day room. Sometimes, there is yard time– a two-hour block permitted for recreational activities outside. In-between these times, you must be in your room for count, which happens six times a day. You must wake up at a certain time and go to sleep at a certain time– everything is highly regimented. There is little to no technology permitted; and autonomy is very, very limited. This is what a day looks like in prison. 

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, seventy percent of US prisoners are rearrested within five years of being released. The Hope-Western Prison Program aims to change this. “When they are offered a bachelor’s degree, that number significantly drops,” David Stubbs, a Co-director and professor who teaches at Muskegon Correctional Facility, noted. The program began in 2021. At the Muskegon Correctional Facility, professors from Hope College and Western Seminary teach a variety of classes, aiming to equip incarcerated individuals for lives of leadership and service. In a series of interviews, the Anchor spoke with the Co-directors of HWPEP (Hope-Western Prison Education Program), Kary Bosma and David Stubbs. Through our discussion, Bosma and Stubbs discussed the program’s holistic approach, its transformative impact on the prisoners themselves, and its effect on prisons overall. First, the Anchor asked Bosma about the specifics of the program goals, and she described the well-rounded approach the program takes to education. “We hope to transform individual students and provide them with a sense of hope and purpose,” she said. “. . . We’re concerned about the formation of the entire student, so that their spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth happens both in and out of the classroom.” Not only does the emphasis on student development separate HWPEP from other prison education programs, but the program also focuses on providing opportunities for inmates who are not guaranteed a recent release. “About half the student population is serving long or indeterminate sentences,” Bosma emphasized. “That’s important because almost all of the other prison education programs in Michigan. . . are solely focused on employment upon reentry. Our program is also useful to those who are not getting out.” For those who are serving longer and/or indeterminate sentences, the program provides opportunities for students to work inside the prison, taking on roles such as tutors, peer supporters, or religious leaders. “We want students to use whatever influence they have and the skills they’ve been given to be problem solvers in the prison context” Bosma concluded. Seeing the students cultivate these skills and renew their sense of self is important and impactful, especially from a professor point of view. 

 All of the faculty that are teaching in the program are doing it over and above their teaching on the main campus,” Bosma said.  “. . . they’re doing this as a kind of overtime. . . it is really out of generosity and commitment to the program’s mission.” The Anchor asked Stubbs about his experience as an educator in the program; whereupon he commented on the changes that he’s seen. “I think a big thing that happens for them is that they relearn that they have dignity,” he said. “They’re able to see themselves in a different way, and see that they could be a change agent for the good. . . for their families, and in the larger society.” In his presentation at the Critical Issue Symposium, professor Fred Johnson referred to this change as a “resurrection.” “What they did is not who they are now,” he claimed. Throughout his interview, Stubbs furthered this point by articulating how, for some, finding God is an integral part of this transformation. “Getting in touch with their own sense of who God is. . . gives their lives purpose and meaning.” It is evident from professors’ testimonies that the students really value this educational opportunity. “They’re willing to work really hard,” Stubbs told the Anchor. There is evidence to back this up, too. In prison, technology is not as integrated into daily life as it is for a typical college student. Stubbs displayed an array of papers from his students at the prison, each one hand-written or typed using a type-writer. “I think we’re changing people’s perceptions of what’s going on with mass incarceration,” he said, “They put in their time, and they really want to make the world a better place.” In addition, it costs nothing for the students in the program. 

“Students participating in the Hope-Western prison program are not responsible for covering the cost of their education. To date, the entire cost of the program has been covered by donor funds,” Bosma explained. “We want to invite as many people as possible to support the program.” For Hope students who want to get involved, both Bosma and Stubbs agree that contributing financially is meaningful. “ It’s a program that will continue to need a lot of outside funding in order to exist,” Stubbs remarked. 

Donating is not the only way Hope students can get involved, however. Bosma recommends simply having conversations. “. . . so few people are aware of what’s happening in a prison context,” she added. HAPE (Hope Advocates for Prison Education) hosts events regarding the program and fosters conversation around the subject. Considering how one’s major could connect to prison corrections is another involvement technique that Bosma recommends. She listed the careers that are needed in the prison settings: “There are social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, dentists. . .” Stubbs suggests community growth: “Learning how to be a community that can welcome them is an important issue in our whole society.” 

Both Bosma and Stubbs agree that a societal shift is necessary. “I see the entire prison system as kind of a broken system that has the potential to harm everyone involved in it,” Stubbs said. Bosma concurred: “The culture that has been developed is one of dehumanization. . . which then breeds a variety of antisocial behaviors.” However, prison education seems to be a step in the right direction. “Violence in prisons with prison programs goes down.” Stubbs reiterated. Johnson described education as “the door” to fix the various issues within prison in the United States.

 The Hope-Western Prison Education Program exemplifies the transformative power of education, offering incarcerated individuals the opportunity to not only find career opportunities after their release, but also inside the prison itself. By fostering personal growth, dignity, and a renewed sense of purpose, this program not only equips students with valuable skills, but also challenges the broader narrative of dehumanization within the prison system. “What we need is a societal shift in our understanding of what we want prison to accomplish,” Bosma stated. To get involved, consider attending a HAPE event, or follow them on Instagram @hape_hwpep. There is an unseen connection between the students at Hope, and the students in the program. Bosma concluded, saying, “It’s important for students to know that even if they’ll never see the inside of Muskegon Correctional Facility, you have peers there. . . you matter to them, and I hope that they matter to you.”

(Featured image source: Amy Piescer)