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ISC officially launched in 2024, but it began as an impactful one-day event in 2023 during the 13th National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP). This early effort featured 23 presentations by students incarcerated across 15 states and was streamed live via Zoom from multiple correctional facilities to the NCHEP conference venue. Featuring original research by students and graduates of higher education in prison programs, the day of scholarship revealed the need and potential to better support incarcerated scholars and elevate their voices, shaping the future of the field and how knowledge is shared at events.
In 2024, we were deeply encouraged by the response to ISC’s first full iteration. Nearly 1,000 people registered, reflecting a strong public interest in learning from and engaging with the academic and creative work of incarcerated scholars. Centered around the theme, Vital Voices and Visions: Insights on Higher Education in Prison, the conference featured scholarly presentations from 30 incarcerated individuals, creative contributions from 15 artists, and participation from correctional facilities across 5 states, along with several international contributors!
Building on this momentum, ISC 2025 will take place virtually on October 21–22, 2025, around the theme, Pathways to Possibility. It will feature presentations by incarcerated scholars, including real-time Q&As with virtual attendees; a curated expressive arts showcase; and a unique platform for dialogue between incarcerated and non-incarcerated educators, artists, and advocates. The event will be open to family and friends of presenters, higher education in prison community members and practitioners, and the broader public, offering a rare opportunity to experience the depth and promise of this type of engagement.
What began as a conference within a conference has now grown into an academic gathering, where incarcerated scholars present original research, creative work, and critical perspectives to audiences across university campuses, correctional facilities, and communities nationwide. Now that ISC is an annual event, we’re excited to begin tracking meaningful metrics–through tools like an exit survey and impact report–to help shape and strengthen the conference moving forward.
Ultimately, the impact of ISC extends far beyond academic and correctional institutions. It reaches families, loved ones, children, and communities, offering connection, pride, and a sense of possibility that carries into every part of life beyond the classroom or facility. It also plays a vital role in shifting public narratives and perceptions about who incarcerated scholars are and what they contribute.
Sponsors not only help fund the conference can also participate in other meaningful ways, through attendance and through collaboration with the Alliance as thought partners and planners. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our dedicated sponsors, both returning and new. We want to work with you and ensure your participation is meaningful.
If you're interested in sponsoring ISC this year through one of the outlined levels—or if you have a new idea for sponsorship—please contact our Operations and Development Director to explore a partnership: allisonlopez@higheredinprison.org.
Level I Sponsor ($1,000 - $5,000) - Includes sponsor choice of one or more of the following social media and outreach options:
Level II Sponsor ($5,000 - $10,000) - Includes Level I benefits as well as sponsor choice of one or more of the following digital recognition options:
Level III Sponsor ($10,000-$20,000+) - Includes Level I and II benefits as well as sponsor choice of one or more of the following live and recorded feature options:
We are in the process of finalizing budget information and will make it available on this page shortly. Thank you for your continued interest and support.
