The Augustana Prison Education Program (APEP) joined BPI’s Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison in 2022.
ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (May 23, 2025) — Augustana College will mark a transformational milestone on Tuesday, May 27, with its first in-prison commencement ceremony, honoring graduates of the Augustana Prison Education Program (APEP). Held at East Moline Correctional Center (EMCC), the ceremony will recognize four students receiving their Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, awarded under the same academic standards and faculty instruction as those on the Rock Island campus.
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Launched in 2021, APEP is a fully-accredited, full-time degree program operating inside a minimum-security state facility. Students complete a rigorous liberal-arts curriculum taught exclusively by Augustana faculty. Now in its fourth year, APEP serves thirty students and continues to expand, with plans to enroll twenty more in the coming academic year.
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The program is supported by a $1 million, ten-year sustaining grant from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, in addition to philanthropic partners and local donors. Inspired by national models like the Bard Prison Initiative, APEP reflects a growing national recognition that college-in-prison programs are among the most effective tools for reducing recidivism, strengthening communities, and creating long-term economic value.
