Contacts:
Dr. Steve Jansen
Assistant Professor and Director of Lansing Prison Program
(913) 621-8730
Program Description: Donnelly College offers an on-site Associate Degree program to incarcerated students of the Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas. As a Catholic institution, it believes that the program has a Christian aim to assist prisoners and directly complements the school’s founding mission “to provide education and community services with personal concern for the needs and abilities of each student, especially those who might not otherwise be served.”
After earning accreditation for a second, satellite campus in 2001, Donnelly began offering classes at Lansing Correctional Facility. Since then, more than 325 students have taken courses: 14 have earned associate degrees and 155 (or 48% of former students) have been released from prison.
Donnelly College strives to make its program as accessible as possible to students by asking that they pay only one-third of the hourly tuition fee. Donnelly College must raise the remaining 2/3 of the tuition costs in scholarships from private patrons.
As of February 2009, the program received $223,000 in federal grant, which was distributed equally each year over the next three years. This grant ended fiscal year 2010-2011.
Degrees Offered: Associate of Arts
Programs Offered: N/A
Unique Features: As a Catholic institution, Donnelly believes that the program has a Catholic aim to assist prisoners which directly compliments the school’s founding mission “to provide education and community services with personal concern for the needs and abilities of each student, especially those who might not otherwise be served.”
Headquarters: Lansing, KS
Correctional Facilities Served: Lansing Correctional Facility
Population Served: Students of any category – minimum, medium or maximum security are eligible, as long as they have a record of good behavior.
Number of Students:420 since 2001
Graduates to Date:21 students (as of 2016)
Year Founded: 2001
Founders: N/A
College/University/Organization Partnerships: Donnelly College
Funding: 1/3 by incarcerated students, 2/3 by Donnelly College, which must raise the money in scholarships from private patrons. As of February 2009, US Department of Justice provided $223,000 in grant, which was distributed equally each year over the next three years. This grant ended fiscal year 2010-2011.