Princeton U. Donates 52 Laptops & Tech Gear To 2 State Prisons

PRINCETON, NJ — Last week, officials from Princeton University donated 53 laptops and other tech gear to the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

The laptops and tech gear will be used in two state prisons as part of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) consortium.

Around 300 incarcerated undergraduate students at the East Jersey State Prison and the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women will use the laptops each semester.

“The prison teaching initiative, PTI as we call it, is really an amazing example of the University's mission at work in the world and I’m really thrilled that through this donation of mobile laptops that we are able to match Princeton’s mission with these resources,” Jennifer Rexford, Provost, Princeton University said in a statement.

“We’re also extremely grateful for our partner institutions in higher ed who are also with us today, particularly Rutgers University and Raritan Valley Community College. It shows what a partnership across higher ed and with community colleges, both with four-year institutions, is and how forming these partnerships are critical to our communities and to the future of higher ed in the state.”

Last week’s donation represents an important milestone for incarcerated college students in New Jersey, who previously did not have access to laptops, and prepares students as they transition to campuses and the job market ready for modern technological requirements.

“With this donation, we celebrate the commitment of our students to their educational journeys, and their resilience, curiosity, and intelligence that inspires us to all continuously improve the educational programming and opportunities we offer,” said Jill Stockwell, Associate Director of the Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative.

“These labs, which will be used by incarcerated undergraduates throughout New Jersey, represent a vital step in preparing our students for the 21st century campuses and job markets they will come home to.”

The equipment donation – alongside supportive programming – will allow incarcerated learners to gain valuable knowledge and skills for the transition to the modern college environment and the workforce after release from prison.

“It not only enhances their educational experience, but it also builds on their overall computer literacy,” said Victoria L. Kuhn, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Corrections. “It prepares them for their next stages in life, in the community, on modern college campuses and in their careers. And what we truly recognize at NJDOC is that this donation is more than the physical laptops.”

Founded in 2005, the Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI) seeks to bridge Princeton University’s academic and service-driven missions by providing quality post-secondary education to incarcerated students in New Jersey.

Princeton University graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff provide innovative, evidence-based pedagogy training and get the chance to diversify their teaching portfolios through intensive classroom experience.

They also foster access to education and supportive pathways to Princeton’s campus for formerly incarcerated undergraduates through a variety of internship programs.

The Prison Teaching Initiative recruits, trains, and supports volunteer instruction for courses accredited by Raritan Valley Community College and Rutgers School of Criminal Justice for incarcerated students across the state of New Jersey.

“I'm talking about the mutual benefits of increased public safety, revitalized communities, intergenerational education, skilled labor, improved earnings, wealth production, creative solutions, and an overall reduction in immediate and collateral costs of crime and prison,” said Chris Agans, Director, NJ STEP. “And that's not just for any one person or any group – that's for us collectively as a state. And this is only possible because our consortium continues to work together in this really unique public private partnership.”

The NJ-STEP initiative is an association of higher education institutions in New Jersey that works in partnership with the State of New Jersey Department of Corrections and New Jersey State Parole Board, to provide higher education courses toward a college degree for students while they are incarcerated and to assist in their transition to college life upon release from prison. The current contributing institutions are: Drew University (PREP); Princeton University (PTI); Raritan Valley Community College (RISE); and Rutgers University.

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