Berry College is partnering with the Georgia Department of Corrections to expand access to higher education for incarcerated individuals, with a focus on rehabilitation, personal growth, and successful reentry.

The program brings Berry College students and incarcerated students together through college-level coursework, including classes such as Introduction to Sociology. The effort uses the “Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program” model, allowing students on both sides to learn together in a correctional setting through discussion, reflection, and collaboration. (See correction).

One recent class at Walker State Prison saw 20 offenders complete a Sociology course through the partnership. Supporters say the program helps build critical thinking skills, confidence, communication, and career readiness for life after incarceration.

The initiative also reflects Berry College’s mission of expanding educational opportunity while supporting the Georgia Department of Corrections’ broader goal of reducing recidivism through education, literacy, vocational training, and reentry preparation.

Leaders involved in the program say higher education can play an important role in rehabilitation by helping participants develop new perspectives, strengthen decision-making skills, and prepare for a more stable future.

Correction: Dr. Sarah Allred with Berry College says ” The Berry College HEP program does not apply or use the pedagogy of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Rather, we offer traditional college courses exclusively to people incarcerated at Walker State Prison. While there are no Berry students learning alongside the Walker students (which would be the Inside Out model of learning), the Berry HEP Program does benefit from the contributions of Berry Student Interns who accompany Berry faculty in the classroom.  From 2008 – 2020, I offered college classes at Floyd County Prison in Rome, GA and these courses were modeled after the InsideOut Prison Exchange Program. I do not use this model at Walker State Prison”.