Rhodes Prison Program Expands Degrees

The Women's Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee, will offer a full four-year Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies starting this summer. The expansion is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. This new initiative marks a major step for the Liberal Arts in Prison program at Rhodes College, which currently focuses on certificate completion for inmates.

Dr. Stephen Haynes, a religious studies and humanities professor at Rhodes, directs the program. He noted that the initiative began in the fall of 2016 as a Great Books Discussion Group involving about 25 women. The group quickly shifted its focus to providing college credit, leading to the development of a formal certificate program. By May of this year, approximately 45 women are expected to graduate with certificates in liberal arts.

Incarcerated women like Jameshia Davis have participated in these courses. Davis, who is serving a 24-year sentence for drug and firearm possession, completed the program and now tutors other inmates. She described the initial intimidation of studying at Rhodes but found encouragement in the work. Her high school son has also been inspired by her academic progress, citing her example as proof of their shared potential.

The program involves more than just faculty. Over 70 Rhodes students have volunteered to support the initiative. Seniors Sophie Stevenson and Laurel Phillips lead discussion groups and manage organizational activities at the facility. They describe the relationship with the inmates as personal, sharing details about families, pets, and parole hearings. Stevenson stated that the experience has defined her college career and influenced her future career goals in prison education.

Dr. Lori Garner, an English professor at Rhodes, has taught in the program for about five years. She reports that the diverse life experiences of the inmates improve her teaching methods on campus. Garner observes that the students bring fresh perspectives to the same literary texts she has taught for decades, creating a reciprocal learning environment between the college and the prison.

As of the spring of 2025, 92 women at the center had accumulated 765 Rhodes credits. Of those, 32 had already earned certificates. Haynes cited statistics showing that individuals involved in higher education and prison are 43 percent less likely to return to incarceration. The program sponsors are currently seeking additional donors to ensure the long-term sustainability of the educational offerings.

The new degree program will also support the expansion of educational programming in the men's facility at West Tennessee State Penitentiary. This expansion allows the initiative to reach a wider population of inmates within the state penitentiary system. The collaboration continues to bridge the gap between elite academic resources and the rehabilitation process inside the prison walls.