Incarcerated Scholars Conference 2025

The Incarcerated Scholars Conference is a chance to unite voices from across the country, fostering collaboration and solidarity. 

This conference offers a meaningful opportunity for students to participate in a national (and global) academic community. For many incarcerated people, this is a rare chance to share their work, connect with peers across institutions, and see themselves as part of something larger than their immediate environment.

ISC fosters connection, reflection, and growth. It helps students understand that higher education in prison is not happening in isolation. It is part of a broader and ongoing effort across the country to support learning, creativity, and academic achievement.

The impact doesn’t end with the conference; it offers students a way to build confidence, expand their thinking, and stay engaged in their academic journey.

The impact of ISC also 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.

‍Track 1: Reentry Planning and Lifelong Learning

Focus: Educational transitions and post-release opportunities

Presentations may cover:

• Reentry partnerships and continued academic access
• Life skills and professional development 
• Regional/state variations and innovation

Track 2: Interdisciplinary Scholarship

Focus: Scholarly work that expands or intersects with but is not limited to carceral education

Presentations may cover:

• Research and critical inquiry across a range of disciplines

Track 3: Education as Resistance 

Focus: Pedagogy, identity, and systemic change

Presentations may cover:

• Gender, class, and racial equity in prison education
• Education for specific groups: women, juveniles, LGBTQ+, and elderly students
• Cultural change within prisons through education

Track 4: Collaboration and Innovation 

Focus: Cross-sector collaboration, digital solutions, and reimagining education delivery 

Presentations may cover:

• Technology access and digital literacy
• University-prison partnerships and cross-institution models
• National and global models for scalable, equitable education

Track 5: Education in Action 

Focus: Work-based learning for incarcerated scholars

Presentation may cover:

• Personal testimonies from incarcerated scholars with remote working experience
• Information sharing about work-based learning options
• Ideas and advocacy around implementing EiA

ISC presentations will be webinars, and all presenters will be presenting live via Zoom. The webinar Q&A session will be moderated by Alliance staff. Incarcerated presenters will need to be able to use the Zoom platform to join the conference. Unfortunately, the Alliance is unable to accommodate other virtual meeting platforms or arrangements for presenting outside of Zoom.

Note about Zoom access: Scholars do not need individual device access to participate. Zoom sessions can be joined using a shared computer in a prison library, education department, or facility office, depending on what’s available at the site.

This virtual event is free and open to the public. This conference uses Zoom as its videoconferencing platform. Incarcerated presenters will need to be able to use Zoom to present.

Note about Zoom access: Scholars do not need individual device access to participate. Zoom sessions can be joined using a shared computer in a prison library, education department, or facility office, depending on what’s available at the site.

Join live through Zoom.
We strongly encourage all registrants to register and attend live via Zoom. Not all sessions or presentations will be available as recordings afterward, and joining live allows you to engage directly with presenters by asking questions and sharing reactions.

Watching with a large group?
If you’ll be viewing as part of a classroom or larger gathering, you can access our livestream from our YouTube channel.
The livestream is ideal for shared viewing, but please note that those watching the stream won't be able to ask questions and only one presentation per session block will be shown.

Plan ahead.
The final event schedule, including presenter and presentation details, is now available above.

Connect and network.
Some Zoom Events networking features will be available during the event. These interactions are a great way to connect with others doing this work across the country.

Explore the art and expression.
Be sure to check out the Expressive Plenaries on both days, where creative works by incarcerated artists will take center stage. You can also visit the Virtual Exhibit, available through Zoom Events, to explore additional artwork and creative projects.

Have additional questions? Our events page has more information about upcoming ISC Q&A sessions. Don't see any more on our events calendar? You can always email us your questions at isc@higheredinprison.org

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Zoom access might not be possible - is participation as a presenter still feasible? 

People who are currently incarcerated and want to present but have no access to technology on site should consider submitting a creative work instead. Artists selected for ISC do not need to have Zoom access because creative works will not be presented by the artist live during the conference. Additionally, ISC defines creative works very broadly, so there is room to creatively interpret scholarship.

Students, proxies, and corrections contacts should work closely with leadership at the facility to discuss opportunities for Zoom access in cases where technology exists, but may/may not be available for students. Please be honest the submission form about Zoom access, and use the space provided to discuss work in-progress to obtain permissions. Ultimately, selected presentations will need to provide confirmation of facility approval (including Zoom access) to the Alliance by September 1, 2024.

Note about Zoom access: Scholars do not need individual device access to participate. Zoom sessions can be joined using a shared computer in a prison library, education department, or facility office, depending on what’s available at the site.