Xenophobia in Prison Higher Education: Towards Recruiting and Supporting Undocumented People in Prison

Overview & Synopsis

Routine practices in federal and state penal facilities deny undocumented individuals access to various programming, including sentence-mandated and education programs. Many prison higher education programs also exclude individuals who are not US citizens and because undocumented people cannot access Pell Grant funds, it is unlikely they will benefit from expanded postsecondary opportunities during incarceration. Rampant xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment shapes policies, practices, and discourses of access to higher education broadly, as well as higher education in prison. Here, the authors share their attempt to challenge xenophobia in prison higher education through an evolving engagement between the University of Utah Prison Education Project (UPEP) and the Consulado de México (Mexican Consulate) in Salt Lake City to serve Mexican Nationals currently incarcerated in the state prison system. The authors argue that prison higher education programs should commit to anti-racist praxis and accordingly recruit and support undocumented individuals in prison.