HOPE is a group of University of Washington students who are dedicated to encouraging post-secondary education programs inside prisons, as well as support for formerly incarcerated/systems impacted college students.
What is HOPE?
Our Mission
HOPE is a group of University of Washington students who are dedicated to encouraging post-secondary education programs inside prisons, as well as support for formerly incarcerated/systems impacted college students. Our aim is to raise public awareness surrounding the need for more accessible educational opportunities to those incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.
Our History
HOPE was started in 2014 through an Interdisciplinary Honors class taught by our academic adviser, Claudia Jensen. It was a mixed-enrollment class held during summer quarter, where students from UW were bused to Monroe Correctional Complex to take classes with incarcerated students. HOPE originated with a parallel branch inside the prison called BRIDGES, with the purpose of providing support during the reentry process, making the full name of the group “BRIDGES to HOPE”.
Our Work
HOPE aims to make meaningful impact those affected by the carceral system on campus, and inside Washington State prisons. We partner with multiple organizations both inside and outside, including: the Concerned Lifers Organization, Alliances, League of Women Voters, Civil Survival, and more!
All students and members of the UW community are encouraged to get involved with HOPE! Check our Instagram, join our mailing list, or send us a message to learn more about our weekly meetings.
Happening now!
Prison Labor Campaign
All furniture in the new University of Washington dormitories comes from Correctional Industries, the WA State prison labor program. Incarcerated people working for CI do IKEA-like assembly tasks for pennies an hour or no pay at all.
We demand the UW to uphold its Code of Ethics and end the use of coerced prion labor!
See what else we’re up to!
