National Conference on Higher Education in Prison

About the NCHEP

The annual National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) is not only an event—it's a lifeline for the community of people who are committed to expanding educational opportunities for students who are currently or formerly incarcerated.

general nchep faq

Working to expand the field

More than just an annual opportunity to convene with colleagues from the field, the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) is a place for higher education in prison community members to be heard, supported and inspired.

The annual conference encourages and fosters collaboration. It’s an incubator for new projects and initiatives. It’s a trusted venue for constructive dialogue. And it’s a valuable resource for practitioners and students seeking training, professional development and new conversations.

Attendees leave the conference with new tools and connections, as well as a renewed sense of purpose and confidence.

2023 NCHEP: Closing the Distance

The in-person event was held in Atlanta, GA.

2023 NCHEP Details

Thanks to all who joined us for the 2022 NCHEP!

What Is To Be Done?
11th NCHEP
November 11-14, 2022

The 2021 NCHEP in Denver (Colorado) hosted 42 in-person presentations, open conversations , workshops, roundtables, and special events, as well as 9 additional virtual sessions later in the month. For a full overview of the conference experience, including feedback from the NCHEP attendees , read the 2021 In-Person NCHEP Exit Report.

2021 in-person NCHEP Exit Report

NCHEP Archive

The first national conference in 2010 was hosted by the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. About 75 people attended the 2.5-day gathering. Year after year, the conference grew in both attendance and the types and number of events and sessions it offered. By 2016, almost 300 people registered for the conference and by 2019 that number grew to more than 500 people representing more than 350 organizations, including higher education in prison programs, colleges/universities, community-based partners, media outlets and philanthropic foundations. The Alliance started hosting the conference in 2017, which was the 7th annual NCHEP. When available, media archives from each event are available below.

Booklets & Media

To receive updates about the National Conference, be sure to follow the National Conference on Twitter and Facebook @OfficialNCHEP.

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“It's an amazing space. I am completely inspired by people's passion for the work and people's interest in engaging and learning. It's so clear that there's already so much expertise and work that has been done, but there's also new ways to work and new ways of thinking happening here. There are other conferences that might be just folks that only want to get their point across and have their way be seen. It seems like people here are really committed to learning with each other.”
Hez Norton, Executive Director, Laughing Gull Foundation
“One thing that I think is just striking is that this conference is larger than ever, and it's got very full program of interesting people. That seems to me to be an incredibly healthy thing for the movement for higher education in prison.”
Bill Keller, Founding Editor-in-Chief, The Marshall Project
“There's something really powerful about being together at a professional conference with people who you knew when they were incarcerated and students on the inside. I have that experience more and more -- being on panels or watching people give talks and seeing them connect with other members of the community who they would never have had access to before.”
Jody Lewen, Executive Director, Prison University Project
Founding Advisory Board Member, Alliance for Higher Education in Prison