Program includes professor-taught classes, activities

Notre Dame Programs for Education in Prison (NDPEP) is an initiative through the Institute for Social Concerns that offers a wide array of programs designed to serve the incarcerated. One particular partnership, the Moreau College Initiative (MCI), has recently gained notable traction as a model of college in prison, adding to pre-existing programs including the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, Shakespeare in Prison, and the Indiana Prison Liberal Arts Network.

Moreau College Initiative (MCI) is a collaboration between Holy Cross College and Notre Dame that partners with the Indiana Department of Corrections to offer individuals at the Westville Correctional Facility the opportunity to earn a fully accredited degree through Holy Cross College.

Launched in 2013 with just 30 students, the program has grown to offer over 60 classes annually, supported by 45 faculty members. MCI has awarded 45 Holy Cross bachelor’s degrees and approximately 140 associate’s degrees. As detailed on its website, the initiative promotes the well-being of those in prisons through its rigorous academic programs in the liberal arts and STEM studies, extracurricular activities, and career support. 

Michael Hebbeler, director of the NDPEP, described the goals and outcomes of MCI to the Rover, saying, “Like college on the main campus, we provide MCI students with career guidance to discern and pursue their vocation while cultivating networks of employers on the outside essential for graduates to flourish.” Hebbeler continued, “As MCI alumni transition back to their communities across Indiana, we accompany them as they pursue stable housing, meaningful jobs, continuing education, and other essential needs for a life of flourishing.” 

Taking its name from Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, the MCI program is deeply rooted both in the order’s principles and the Catholic faith. 

Hebbeler described the program as strongly resonant with the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly its emphasis on the common good. He told the Rover that the program appeals to “the cultivation of community wherein each person’s abilities and talents contribute not only to their own flourishing but also to the flourishing of the whole. … The fostering of relationships between and among students and faculty, as well as the development of an ecosystem of educators, employers, government and community partners animates this principle.”

Since its establishment, the MCI program has had a significant positive impact on the culture of the Westville Correctional Facility. According to Justus Ghormley, director of the MCI and Holy Cross faculty member, “All of our students [in the MCI program] live together in a single dorm, and that dorm has had far less discipline issues. … The culture in the dorm is very unprisoned, people are building friendships with their intellectual peers.”

Matthew Insley, MCI Garden Club volunteer and Director of the Saint Mary’s Sustainable Farm, remarked how extracurricular activities play a vital role in students’ personal growth. At Westville, students participate in gardening, music clubs, and other initiatives that foster creativity and social engagement. The prison’s 12,000-square-foot regenerative flower and vegetable garden provides students with hands-on experience in sustainable farming, while promoting teamwork and cooperation. 

Insley told the Rover, “All of these men have unique perspectives and experiences that are often different from my own and I learn from them each time.” He continued, “I am inspired and motivated by their deep passion for cultivating the earth. To them, the opportunity to grow food and learn these skills is a real gift, and they don’t take it lightly.”

Insley further recalls one memorable experience when he attended a student’s garden design presentation with the Holy Cross College President: “The student just absolutely crushed his assignment. It was detailed and richly nuanced; he demonstrated real expertise in the field and thorough preparation. I was thrilled for him and grateful to be part of that day.”

In addition to the positive impact MCI has on the inmates, many teaching faculty also noted how the program has changed themselves personally. 

Brian Mulholland, a Notre Dame mathematics professor, told the Rover about the exceptional commitment and motivation he observed in the students of MCI. On his first day teaching at Westville Correctional Facility, Mulholland recalled his surprise when a student referenced an example from the textbook he was planning to use later in the lesson. Upon perceiving his shock, Mulholland recounted how the class responded, “You said we were covering these two sections, so we already read those chapters in the math textbook.” He was struck by the fact that the entire class had completed the reading—something he has rarely encountered in the traditional classroom. 

“I have to rethink how I’m going to engage with these students, because they put in the work in a really good way,” Mulholland said. “I’ve honestly never seen such motivated students. They do all the optional assignments because they want to. … In an interesting way, it helped inform me of how I can create a classroom environment more oriented to the pursuit of truth than the pursuit of a grade.”

The MCI program recently hosted an exhibit titled Humanity Illuminated at the South Bend Museum of Art from September 28 to November 10, showcasing the artwork of incarcerated students. This exhibit, which included works from a watercolor course taught by Notre Dame’s Father Martin Lam Nguyen, C.S.C., invited the community to see the humanity and potential of those behind bars. 

Many of the artists featured were former inmates who had returned to society, underscoring the program’s long-term impact. The exhibition page says that the exhibit “illuminates the humanity of the students of Moreau College. And it invites our community to see the dignity and wonder of every individual.”

The Moreau College Initiative will begin classes for the spring of 2025 starting January 13. More details on upcoming events can be found on the MCI calendar page.  

Lydia Poe is a junior from Kansas City, studying finance and management. She sorely misses her daily coffee chats. Kindly reserve your spot at lpoe01@saintmarys.edu — she’d love to make you a caffè latte.

Photo Credit: Moreau College Initiative – Holy Cross

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