Building upon the historic Partnership for Religion and Education in Prisons program
Drew Theological School has announced the launch of a fully-accredited Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) program offered to incarcerated students through its Partnership for Religion and Education in Prisons Program (PREP) at East Jersey State Prison (EJSP). The program marks an historic milestone as the first graduate degree taught entirely inside a New Jersey state prison.
PREP, which demonstrates Drew’s commitment to restorative justice and reentry efforts, has been offering classes in two New Jersey prisons for more than a decade and currently offers a certification in Religious Leadership in Social Transformation—the first graduate certification of any type held entirely inside a prison classroom in New Jersey history. The program brings the Drew classroom into the prison setting with the goal of educating both “inside” and “outside” students through the sharing of diverse experiences, identities, and belief systems.
Currently, eight inside students are enrolled in the PREP MAR program, most of whom are alums of Drew’s longstanding PREP graduate certificate program. Students inside EJSP may now choose to complete the certificate program or apply their coursework toward the MAR degree.
Following more than a year of academic development and an additional year of institutional and accrediting work, the MAR offered through PREP is identical in curriculum and academic rigor as Drew’s on-campus MAR program. The degree is fully accredited by both the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
“This Drew MAR is a commitment to genuine academic equity by providing a fully accredited graduate degree in religious studies, theological studies, and leadership training to currently incarcerated students,” said Drew Theological School Dean Edwin David Aponte. “Inside students now have the same opportunity to pursue an accredited graduate degree as their peers on the outside.”
The expansion of PREP to include a full graduate degree grew out of the vision and leadership of Drew’s PREP Steering Committee, a group of Drew faculty responsible for program oversight and development. A central guiding principle of the committee’s work has been ensuring academic equity between inside and outside students.
The MAR program currently focuses on general religious studies and is taught by Drew’s current full-time faculty. Each academic term includes a graduate-level seminar in which 10 inside students study alongside five outside students. These seminars are fully credit-bearing and mirror the structure and expectations of the on-campus courses. Additional credit-bearing summer intensives, designed specifically for inside students, allow participants to continue progress toward the degree.
PREP partners with the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) consortium, which provides associate’s and bachelor’s degree-level educational services to the New Jersey incarcerated population. The Theological School is a founding member of NJ-STEP.
“Education is a cornerstone of rehabilitation and a proven driver of public safety,” said New Jersey Department of Corrections Acting Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, Esq. “By partnering with Drew Theological School to bring an accredited graduate program to East Jersey State Prison, we are providing more than just a degree—we are fostering the leadership and accountability necessary for these individuals to thrive upon their return home.”
“The launch of the MAR program at East Jersey State Prison is a milestone for our department,” echoed Dr. Darcella Sessomes, New Jersey Department of Corrections Chief of Programs and Reintegration Services. “By providing access to master’s-level education, we are committed to supporting incarcerated individuals in developing successful reentry plans that can positively influence public safety and increase employment opportunities.”
Since the expansion of programs like NJ-STEP, New Jersey’s recidivism rate has dropped from one of the highest in the nation to one of the lowest, underscoring the transformative impact of access to education.
Fully aligned with Drew’s Faculty Shared Values, the PREP MAR program represents not only an academic achievement but a meaningful contribution to addressing mass incarceration through restorative justice, education, dignity, and opportunity.
Over the years, the majority of the Theological School faculty and more than 100 inside and outside students have studied together in East Jersey, Edna Mahan, and Northern State correctional facilities in New Jersey throughout the tenure of the PREP program.
