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Inmate from Kansas City says a prison education program turned him into a 'lifelong learner'

Incarcerated students in the Prison Education Program at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, attend a theology class on April 18, 2023.
Sarah Conroy
Incarcerated students in the Prison Education Program at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, attend a theology class on April 18, 2023.

Saint Louis University is running a prison education program that provides some Missouri inmates and prison staff with the opportunity to earn degrees. An inmate who hopes to return to Kansas City upon his release says the program gave him a new perspective on life.

A program at Saint Louis Universityworks to provide Missouri inmates and prison staff with the chance to earn a degree.

Scott, a Kansas City area native who did not want to provide his last name to protect his family, is currently going through the educational program at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.

He says it has changed his outlook on a variety of topics and caused him to constantly want to acquire new knowledge.

"It makes a person think on different levels," Scott told KCUR. "A lot of people prior to education have a selfish (mindset). Going through all of these classes, it makes you step outside of yourself and look at the broader picture of humanity."

  • Mary Riesing, interim director of the Prison Education Program at Saint Louis University
  • Scott, student inmate
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