The Prison Studies Project’s mission is to awaken the broadest possible public to the ways we punish, and to reimagine justice in the United States.

In September 2008, Kaia Stern and Bruce Western launched the Prison Studies Project (PSP) at Harvard University to promote informed conversation about the challenges of mass incarceration. Born out of Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice, PSP’s mission is to awaken the broadest possible public to the ways we punish, and to reimagine justice in the United States. Since its inception, PSP has been committed to raising public awareness, teaching college courses inside prison, and injecting into the public conversation a discussion of policy alternatives. Our work has focused on research, education and policy change.

Photo by Saalik Khan, courtesy of the Prison University Project at San Quentin

If you have questions about the national directory or prison education programs, please visit the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.

For any inquiries about the Prison Studies Project, please fill out this form