USM Prison Education Program

Saint Mary Prison Education Program: Empowering Change (PEP)

The University of Saint Mary is proud to be part of rehabilitating incarcerated persons. The university has a long history of providing education in prison settings.

The University of Saint Mary’s core curriculum is rooted in the liberal arts educational tradition. The basis of a liberal arts education is the belief that learning in a broad and deep range of fields enhances a student’s ability to think. It refines, challenges, and encourages a student's ability, regardless of background or preparedness for university learning.

As a graduate of a liberal arts education, a student will be an articulate and fulfilled human being, find meaningful and gainful employment in a particular field, and live a just and humane life.

The University of Saint Mary was part of the Second Chance Pell initiative and has offered face-to-face post-secondary education programming since the Spring of 2021. We were selected as one of 250 higher education in prison

The Prison Education Program (PEP) was re-established by the University of Saint Mary in 2021 to provide educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals in Lansing, Leavenworth, and Fort Leavenworth. The program began in the Spring of 2021 with eight students at the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) and has since grown to offer a Bachelor of Business in Management to 40 students. LCF is the only penitentiary in Kansas to offer an in-person bachelor's degree program. The first graduate completed the program in the summer of 2023.

In Fall 2023, USM expanded its educational offerings to include a bachelor's degree in business management at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth. USM is the only Pell Granting institution in the country offering an in-person bachelor's degree in a military prison.

The program will potentially expand to the United States Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth by the Fall of 2024, making USM one of the first Pell Granting Institutions to offer in-person higher education in prison programs in a federal penitentiary.

Currently, the USM PEP provides associate and bachelor's degrees in business administration across these locations, and enrollment projections indicate over 100 students will be enrolled across all locations by Fall of 2024.

The USM Prison Education Program strives to reduce recidivism and transform the lives of incarcerated individuals and their families through post-secondary education. Equal access to education is not only just for the incarcerated but is in the best interest of the community at large.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics studies have found high rates of recidivism among released prisoners. One study, which tracked 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison, found that about 2/3 (67.8%) of released prisoners were rearrested within 3 years of release and more than 3/4 (76.6%) were rearrested within 5 years. More than half (56.7%) of these rearrests were in the first year after release. However, there is a 43% reduction in recidivism rates for those prisoners who participate in prison education programs. Indeed, the higher the degree, the lower the recidivism rate is: 14% for those who obtain an associate degree, 5.6% for those who obtain a bachelor’s degree, and 0% for those who obtain a master’s degree.

Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF)– Bachelor’s Degree Business Management

General Education Courses - required for all USM degrees 36 credit hours

Electives to reach 120 credit hours

Core Business Administration Degree Coursework

Statistics
Principles of Management
Principles of Marketing
Principles of Accounting 1
Principles of Accounting 2
Principles of Microeconomics or Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Finance
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Business
Data Analysis for Business Decision Making
International Business
Operations Management
Business Learning Lab
Strategic Management and Ethics

In addition to core courses in business administration, BA-Management majors complete additional coursework designed to prepare them to manage people and projects in organizations.

Coursework

Leadership
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management
Business Communications
Project Management
Human Resource Management
Organizational Behavior
International Political Economy
Management Internship

United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) – Completion degree Bachelor’s Degree Business Management

Students with an AS or AA degree are required to complete all Core Coursework and Business Courses listed below. In addition, students must take 3 credit hours of theology.

Students with an AAS degree must also complete or transfer in general education courses to meet the above requirements.

Core Business Administration Degree Coursework

Statistics
Principles of Management
Principles of Marketing
Principles of Accounting 1
Principles of Accounting 2
Principles of Microeconomics or Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Finance
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Business
Data Analysis for Business Decision Making
International Business
Operations Management
Business Learning Lab
Strategic Management and Ethics

Coursework

Leadership
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management
Business Communications
Project Management
Human Resource Management
Organizational Behavior
International Political Economy
Management Internship

Joint Regional Correctional Facility (JRCF) – associate degree in business administration

60 credit hours

English Composition 1
English Composition 2
Interpersonal Communication
Quantitative Literacy: Math in the Real World
Introductory Statistics
Saint Mary Spirituality
Gen Ed - Art: 3 credits
Gen Ed - Science with Lab: 3 credits
Gen Ed - Humanities: 3 credits
Principles of Marketing
MGT Electives: 6 credits
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Accounting 1
Principles of Accounting 2
Info Systems & Applications
Principles of Management
Principles of Macroeconomics
Business Learning Lab
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Business

United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth – associate degree in business administration

Pending approval – projected start date August 2024

60 credit hours

English Composition 1
English Composition 2
Interpersonal Communication
Quantitative Literacy: Math in the Real World
Introductory Statistics
Saint Mary Spirituality
Gen Ed - Art: 3 credits
Gen Ed - Science with Lab: 3 credits
Gen Ed - Humanities: 3 credits
Principles of Marketing
MGT Electives: 6 credits
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Accounting 1
Principles of Accounting 2
Info Systems & Applications
Principles of Management
Principles of Macroeconomics
Business Learning Lab
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Business

Student qualifications

The University of Saint Mary seeks motivated and academically qualified students who desire a high-quality, career-oriented liberal arts education in a Catholic/Christian tradition. The University of Saint Mary admits students of any gender, race, religion, color, or national and ethnic origin. It does not discriminate based on any of the above factors in any of its policies.

Freshman Admission

Admissions process for Full or Part-Time, Degree-Seeking Students

Academic Requirements

Freshman students are degree-seeking students who have not enrolled in an accredited college or university after graduating from high school or equivalent. A cumulative high school GPA of 2.75 or higher or proof of a GED equivalent GPA is required for admission. Admission into the University of Saint Mary does not constitute admission into any particular program. For detailed information, see the main campus catalog.

USM will require admitted students to take an Accuplacer test for course placement in English and math.

Transfer Admission

Admissions process for Full or Part-Time, Degree-Seeking Transfer Students transferring from another college.

Academic Requirements

Transfer students are degree-seeking students enrolled in an accredited college or university after graduating from high school or equivalent. A cumulative transfer GPA of 2.0 or higher for all college course work that applies towards a USM program is required for admission. Admission into the University of Saint Mary does not constitute admission into any particular program. A maximum of 96 credits can be transferred.

Michelle Workman

Prison Education Program Director
Michelle.Workman@stmary.edu
800-752-7043
President's Office

Michelle earned a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993. After returning to Kansas City, she worked in the financial industry as a stockbroker and operations manager until 2001. In that year, she began pursuing a graduate degree in art history and religious studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Michelle was a UMKC graduate teaching fellow for non-western art history and co-authored Renée Stout; Readers, Advisors and Storefront Churches (University of Washington Press).

Since 2012, Michelle has been an adjunct faculty member at various institutions, including the University of Central Missouri, Rockhurst University, and the Kansas City Art Institute. In 2020, she started teaching for a higher education in prison program at the Lansing Correctional Facility. This experience led to her current position as the Prison Education Program Director at USM.

Michelle was part of the 2022 National Cohort for the Alliance in Higher Education in Prison and was a speaker at the National Conference in Atlanta. She continues to speak at regional and national events to promote higher education in prison programs. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree.

Michael Hill, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of History & Theology
Michael.Hill@stmary.edu
800-752-7043
Provost's Office

Michael Hill is an Assistant Professor of History and Theology in the University of Saint Mary Prison Education Program. After serving the in the US Army from 2001-2007, Dr. Hill decided to further his education, first at Fuller Theological Seminary and then at Adams State University. Dr. Hill then earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Kansas. He specializes in the 19th century American West, the US in the world, and environmental history. His work has appeared in The Journal of America's Military Past, Western Historical Quarterly, and Diplomatic History. Dr. Hill's current book project, exploring how the purchase and governance of Alaska furthered US empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is under contract with the University of Nebraska Press.

Leanna Brunner

Assistant Professor in English
Leanna.Brunner@stmary.edu
Humanities

Leanna Brunner, a doctoral student in English pedagogy at Murray State University, has been a college writing instructor for more than twenty-five years. In addition to her experience in the classroom, she is also an editor, writer, and curriculum designer. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three grown children.

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NEWS & EVENTS

PEP Updates

Historic First Graduating Class at the Joint Regional Correctional Facility Marks a Milestone in USM Prison Education

Oct 19, 2026

(Leavenworth, Kansas) – The University of Saint Mary celebrated academic achievement, perseverance, and new beginnings with graduation ceremonies held in September at the United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) and the Joint Regional Correctional Facility (JRCF) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

This year's celebrations were particularly significant as JRCF recognized its first graduating class, marking an important milestone in USM's expanding commitment to providing higher education opportunities to incarcerated service members. Students at JRCF received an Associate's in Business Administration and USDB students earned a Bachelor's in Business Administration - Management.

The Prison Education Program provides rigorous, in-person college instruction delivered by university faculty, allowing students to work toward meaningful academic and professional goals while incarcerated.

The inaugural JRCF graduation is especially meaningful because it demonstrates the success of a growing educational partnership between the University of Saint Mary and military correctional leadership.

"Rooted in USM's Catholic mission and its commitment to human dignity, the Prison Education Program recognizes that access to education can foster intellectual development, personal responsibility, and hope for the future," Prison Education Program Director Dr. Michelle Workman said. "For the University of Saint Mary, each graduation represents more than a degree earned. It represents the power of education to create opportunity, recognize human potential, and open doors to the future."

Three Lansing Correctional Facility Students Earn their Degrees

July 31, 2025

(Leavenworth, Kansas) – Three students at Lansing Correctional Facility have earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Saint Mary. They were recognized during a Commencement Ceremony on July 18 at the Lansing Correctional Facility East Campus Visitation Area.

Scott Catterfeld, Aaron Claspill, and Kenneth McNelly have all earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science with honors.

“At the University of Saint Mary, we believe in the power of education to transform lives,” University President Sister Diane Steele, SCL, PhD, said. “We are incredibly proud of these graduates and their determination to pursue a college degree. Their achievement reflects the heart of our mission and our commitment to providing opportunities for hope, growth, and a better future.”

University of Saint Mary Awards Six Degrees to Lansing Correctional Facility Students - First Graduates of Modern PEP Program

June 26, 2024

(Leavenworth, Kan.) – Six students at Lansing Correctional Facility earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Saint Mary in May.

USM began offering undergraduate degrees inside the correctional facility in 2021 after being selected for the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites program initiative. Michael Gaynor, Charles Johnson, William Mason, Sean Murphy, Danny Pickerill, and Zachary Smith all earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science.

“We are grateful that we are able to return to providing bachelor’s degrees behind the walls,” University President Sister Diane Steele said. “We believe in the dignity of all people’s ability to learn, and we know that education greatly reduces recidivism.